The New York Times/1918/11/11/Vocation Offices Opened
VOCATION OFFICES OPENED.
Goverment Begins Work for Disabled Fighters in Fourteen Cities.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10.—Offices are now open in fourteen large cities of the United States to receive the applications of disabled soldiers and sailors for free education to equip them for the vocation for which they are most fitted. These offices have been established by the Federal Board of Vocations in Washington, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Atlanta, New Orleans, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Minnesota, San Francisco and Seattle.
While he is receiving re-education the Government will pay the disabled man $65 a month, and in addition will provide him with the funds necessary to pay educational fees. Each man accepted for re-education will be sent to an institution giving special courses in the line he has chosen or he will receive instruction in any industry he wishes to learn. During his training period allowances will be made by the Government to his dependents, such as wife, children and mother. These will be fixed in proportion to the amount they received while he was in active service.
When the disabled man has finished his training the Federal Board promises to have employment ready for him. After he has gone to work again his compensation from the War Risk Insurance Bureau begins and will continue unaffected by the amount of his earnings.
"The worst mistake a disabled man can made," says the Federal Board, "is to draft into a low grade, unskilled occupation. Without any training he must compete with the normal man in a line of work where brute strength and physical fitness alone count, and there can be doubt as to the outcome when work becomes slack. Every consideration requires that a disabled man should obtain permanent employemnt in the position for which he is best fitted or for which he can become best fitted. Otherwise his career will consist of alternate periods of more or less undesirable employment, idleness, trying to live on his pension and picking up an occupation. No self-respecting veteran of this great war can afford to be placed in this position. There is only one escape by which these men may make their future safe and that is, if training is necessary, to obtain it through the Federal Board for Vocational Education."