The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-06-19
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Eleanor Roosevelt
ARTHURDALE
COMMENCEMENT


COMMENCEMENT
WASHINGTON. The commence
ment at Arthurdale, w. Va, was
really quite impressive. As / look
back over the years and remember
that the first class had three high
school graduates, the 20 fine looking
young people who received their
diplomas yesterday show great prog
ress. In order to buy war savings
stamps, they gave up their annual
spring visit to Washington, for which
all high school students save their
pennies throughout the year. One
felt that here was a group Of young
people who already understood
many Of the responsibilities which
come with maturity.
!, The hazards of industry are
brought home to all of them rather
frequently, so the hazards Of war
are nothing new. They all felt very
close to the mine disaster at Usage,
for one Of our Arthurdale home
steaders lost his life in that acct
dent. For ten days his body was not
found, and those ten days were days
of uncertainty and agony to the
young wife, her six and eight-year-
old daughters and her neighbors.
RESPECT FOR COURAGE
Visiting her, however, gave me a
renewed respect for the courage Of
human beings. Another baby is COM
ing in December and instead Of be-
wailing the extra burden, she said
she was so happy that this is the
case, for it gave her something more
to live for. Social security and work
mems compensation take ON real
meaning when you see little family
Of this kind facing the future.
From workmen's compensation,
this woman will receive $50 month,
and SIS a month for each child. Her
social security payment will be SIT
a month"; total of $57. She and
her husband had just decided since
he had a steady job in the mine,
they could take over the contract
and buy their little place. She still
hopes to be able to make her month
ly payments and eventually own her
house and land.
visited the community house in
Scots Run and saw the nursery
school. They need a little more
equipment in their outdoor play
ground, but otherwise the arrange
ments for the little children seem
very adequate.
went to the Usage mine and saw
the men going on their afternoon
shift and talked with a man who is
nicknamed Happy" He, with about
80 others, came out alive at the
time of the accident. / asked him
how it had been possible and he
said: "Well, I don't really know, but
I always joke lot, so I thought it
was better to 60 on joking until we
died, if we had to die, but instead
we got out"
WINDSORS AS GUESTS
NEW YORK CITY.-One morning
in Washington dawned with gray
and stormy looking sky. Soon after
breakfast I went to see my friend,
Mrs. Edward Maccauley, who fell
the other day and broke her hip,
which means three months in bed.
To anyone so active as she is, this
is real penalty at such time.
We had an early luncheon at
which the duke and duchess of Wind
sor were our guests. I was very
much interested to hear from the
duke that he had started a small
organization, resembling our CCC
camps, in the Bahama islands and
felt it was going to do valuable
work.
VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE
Immediately after lunch, we went
to, the airport and waited for a de-
layed plane. This resulted in my
being somewhat late at my apart
ment in New York city for meet
ing at which / had asked Miss Viola
lima to tell something about the
work of the Young Mems Vocational
foundation. Miss lima had so many
interesting stories to tell about the
boys whom she has succeeded in
placing in jobs, that ! think every
one present was interested.
During the first year, she placed
some 80 boys out of the New York
state reform schools, in jobs. This
past year, with the aid of larger
staff, she has developed such good
relationships with case workers, the
parole board and employers, that
over a thousand boys have been
placed.
We are very anxious to interest
more groups of people in this work,
not because it is necessary to have
a big staff or very large budget,
but because much can be done with
comparatively moderate sums of
money and a greater number of peo-
ple who are really interested. At
this time it is important to give
helping hand to boys who find it
hard under the best of circumstances