Evening star., 1949-12-04
FSA0ffice Shift
Sought as Aid 10
Handicapped [
Proposal Would Put
Rehabilitation Unit
In Labor Department
bvs WiIIiom A, Miller
by.. .WiIIiom A. Miller

BY WiIIiom A. Miller
A definite move is afoot to hav,
the ONCE of Vocational Rehabili
tation, now in the Federal Securit!
Agency, shifted to the Labor De-
partment.
Federal Security Administrator
Ewing Is opposing any legislation
to take the Office away from hi!
Jurisdiction. But leading the drive
to putt in the Labor Department
is Paul A. Strachan, president o.
the American Federation of th'
Physically Handicapped. Inc. with
Offices in the National Pres!
Building. T.,
Conferences have been in pro-
gress ota the plan at the Bulge
Bureans since November II ane
a Recommendation is expected tt
be made to Congress, soon after
it meets next month. 1t is under.
stood that no decision has ye1
been reached.
Participants Listed.
Partieipating in these discus.
sions Afe David Stowe, represent
ing President Truman and the
Budget Bureau: E. B. Whitten
executive secretary of the National
Rehabilitation Association: G
Lyle Belsley, Commissioner for
Specia Services in FSA; Mr.
Strachan and Lewis Hines, legis-
lative representative of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, and
others
Some Observers see in the move
an attempt to build up the Labor
DepSrsment In line with the Tru-
man administrations pro-labor
policies. Efforts to have FSA
raised to Cabinet rank are also
involved, according to those in
close touch with developments.
Mr.. Strachan, in a letter te
President Truman. charged that
the National Rehabilitation AS
sociation for the last two years
has opposed the Presidents Com.
mittee on National Employgthe
Physically Handicapped Week. Mr.
Strachan also contended the as.
sociation is using the. Office "as
q convenient tool fer its owr
selfish purposes and to delay de-
velopment of a real program TO,
handicapped" He has favored
creation of a Federal Commission
on services for the physically
handicapped.
President Replies.
PreAdept Truman replied by
letter N@Mr. Strachan:.
Tie Office Of Vocational Re-
habilitati6n has been moving
ahead with program to which
believe ansorganizations interested
in the physically handicapped can
give their support. The legislation
proposed by the Federal Security
Administrator introduced as
s 2273 land II, r. 5577 is designed
to accelerate che existing program
and to provide for its expansion
into areas for which there is nc
statutory authorization.
"If at some time in the future
1t should be proven that the legis-
lation proposed by the Fedora.
Security Administrator does not
result in the progress desired fol
the program, I am sure that the
Congress would be willing to con-
slider sany necessary revision tc
make such progress possible.
believe that it would be unwise te
create a new independent agency
for this program"
Federal Security Administrator
Ewing. in opposing changing the
office. argues:
The Office Of Vocational Re.
habilitation is now located cheek
by jowl with the other Fedora
services With which any program
to rehabilitate the handicapped
must6f necessity, have the clos.
est W0rking relationships. Chic.
among these are the Public
Health Service, the Office of Ed.
ucatiDn and the various program.
of the Social Security Admins.
tration.. It is impossible to di.
vorce the Job of vocational reha.
bilitation : from problems ot
health, for. in 9 cases out o.
10, you start out with a health
problem.
Problems Are Cited.
'1t Is equally impossible to- di.
vorce 1t from problems of socia
security. In most cases, disable
ment1 itself creates problems O.
individual or family security, ane
before you can 60 very far, to-
ward putting q disabled bread,
winner on the road to physica
recovery and fitting him to b,
self-supporting in new job, vol
have to make some provision fol
his family security. Neither car
this function be divorced from
problems OF education, for tn,
very heart of the job-once 20,
have overcome the health prob
lens and provided a measure O
security-is educational. That i
why the Office of Vocational Re
habilitation was placed where j
is, In the Federal Security Agency
in close touch with services in tn
fields OF health, social security an
education"
Mr Ewing contends that "a
that is needed now is adequat
support Tor the present program
and the authority and funds re
quired to expand and improv
thesprogram to drive ahead towar
the goAt OF rehabilitation for a,
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