Evening star., 1944-05-03
Panel Sifts Problems
OF Employer on War.
Mental Casualties

Employers must come to under
stand such terms as "dementia
praecox' and "nonadaptability" used
on veterans discharge papers to de-
note mental or nervous disabilities
II fair chance for employment Is
to be offered the returning service
man, a panel discussion before the
District chapter, International Asso-
citation of Public Employment Serv-
ices, concluded last night.
Capt. Watson B. Miller, deputy
administrator of the Federal Sc
curity Agency, one of seven rehabili-
tation authorities on the panel,
pointed out that Form SO, the GER
tlt1cate OF discharge, contains the
Army's reason for dismissing the
serviceman. In the hands of an
employer not familiar with what
the terming actually implies, he
went on, this certificate might be an
unwarranted handicap to the pros
pective employe.
Mental Casualties"
In one community, partly indus
trial and partly agricultural Capt
Miller cited, for example, 40 per cent
of 1885 men discharged from the
armed forces were mental cas-
ualties," according to the descrip-
tions of their discharge papers
Actually, these terms might be used
to cover up minor misf1ts to regi-
mentation, he said.
The possibility that an employe
already partially disabled might re-
ceive further injury and cause his
employer to be responsible for total
disability compensation was seen as
a deterrent to the employment of
handicapped veterans by Millard
Rice, national service director of
the Disabled American Veterans.
j. Dewey Dorset, assistant general
manager of the Association of Cas-
ualty and Surety Executives, cited
the second injury" or special in
demnity fund as a measure to re-
lieve this hesitancy. The fund, con-
tributed to entirely by industry, he
said, compensates for the employees
previous disability, leaving the en-
ployer responsible only for the in
juries incurred in his own service.
Employer Reaction Told.
Congressman Barden, Democrat,
of North Carolina said the reaction
he found among employers to handi-
capped persons was not unfavorable.
1t was found instead, he went on,
that such employees were more
prompt, lost less time, had excellent
safety records and made for good
production records.
A partially disabled person, Mr..
Dorset added, naturally would be
more careful because he appre-
ciates the fact that if he suffers
further injury he will be totally dis
abled."
In the matter of Federal employ
ment of handicapped veterans, DR..
Verne K. Harvey, chief medical ex-
aminer of the Civil Service Com
mission, cited progress made by the
commission in the judicial place
ment of such workers in Govern
ment jobs. Further efforts are be-
ing directed toward increased CO.
operation between civil service and
vocational rehabilitation authorities
in the field, he said.
Once an employe has been ad-
judged by the commission as fitted
for a job, the employing agency
must accept him or show adequate
and acceptable reason for passing
him up, DR.. Harvey said.
Minimum Resistance Now.
The fact that now there are more
jobs than employees, G. w. Bailey,
executive assistant of the refrain
ing and Unemployment division,
Office of War Mobilization, pointed
out, has brought resistance against
employing handicapped persons to
minimum. He suggested a pos
sible increased resistance when Jobs
are less plentiful.
This will be fought, DR.. Harvey
said, with the results of scientific
study being made of 5000 Jobs now
filled in the War and Navy Depart
ments by handicapped persons.
The panel concluded that the
Veterans Administration will! do "a
better job of training and rehabil-
itation" than it was able 10 do after
the last war.
Chairman of the panel was Ar
thur Fleming. K. Vernon Banta,
president of the District CHAPTER
of IAPES, presided at the meeting,
which was held at the Interior De-
partment auditorium.
Wrono wov Euo;%;voe