Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-18
Campaign 10 Employ
Handicapped Pressed
After Truman Speech

Plans for observance of National
Employ the Physically Handicapped
Week october SO went forward to-
day with renewed vigor, after q
meeting of President Humans COM
mittee here yesterday.
The group. known formally as the
Presidents Committee on National
Employ the Physically Handicapped
Week, received a personal pledge
from Mr.. Truman of full co-opera-
ton of the Executive Branch of the
Government.
The President spoke extempora-
neously at the opening of the COM
mittees session in the Labor Depart
ment. He told the members:
"I want you to do the job as you
have always done 1t and do it
little better this time. And a week
after Employ the Physically Hand
capped Week, do it a little better.
Do it for 81 weeks, then 81 weeks
more; and then let's work Just as
hard in preventing the handicap
ping physically of our population"
Pamphlet Being Issued.
Mr.. Truman said it is "a ter
rible thing that we are faced with
an increasing number Of accidents
in industry, on the road and in the
home" and added that he is doing
everything he can to put q stop
to it.
The President noted that the
committee is getting out pamphlet
with statistics showing that the
money spent by the Government
for rehabilitation of the physically
handicapped returned $40 for every
dollar invested, in productive ca
pacity.
This" said the President, "is a
wonderful thing because 1t creates
a mental attitude that Is good for
the country"
Secretary Of State Marshall spoke
briefly. He deplored the high acct
dent figures in the United States
and commented that one good thing
about the past war was gasoline
rationing which helped cut down
highway accidents.
McIntire Introduces Truman.
The President was introduced by
Vice Admiral Ross T. McIntire,
U. s. N, retired, former White
House physician and committee
chairman.
In report of the groups Disabled
Veterans Committee, Willard w.
Rice, executive secretary of the Dis
abled American Veterans Service
Foundation, declared:
THE greatest stumbling block i'm
peding the employment of disabled
veterans is the fear in the minds of
too many employers that their State
workmens compensation insurance
premiums might be increased, be-
cause of the possibility that such
disabled employees might become
more seriously injured on the job
than able-bodied employees"
Mr.. Rice said this condition could
be overcome through passage OF leg
islation giving the Veterans Admin
istration authority to make teim-
bursements of all workmen's COM
pensation benefits payable under the
operation OF any State compensa-
ton act.
250,000 Placed Last Year.
Secretary of Labor Tobin estimate
ed that nearly 100000 physically
handicapped got jobs in industry
last year and that $4,000 we're placed
during last October.
Among others making reports
were DR.. H. c. Byrd, president of
the University Of Maryland, who
outlined the role of education in the
campaign, and Mrs. j. L. Blair Buck,
president of the General Federation
of Women's Clubs, who reported on
plans for merit awards to employers
who do an outstanding job of plac-
ing physically handicapped persons.
The week was established by an
act of Congress.
Further discussion on the prob
lens of the physically handicapped
will be held here Friday in three
day convention of the American
Federation of the Physically Handi-
capped in the Roosevelt Hotel.