VOCATIONAL TRAINING.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16962, 11 October 1920, Page 7

VOCATIONAL TRAINING.

CUBE OP SOLDIER PATIENTS

Some, interesting information regarding the* work that.tho Educational and Vocational Department is doing for sol-dier-patients in tho military hospitals of tho Dominion, wns given on Saturday, by Major W. A. G. Penlington, Director of Vocational Training, to a representative of "Tho 1?re83." Regarding splints and surgical applianoes. made , at the Department's workshops at Rotorua, Auckland, Trontham, Chrisfcchurch, and Dunodin, Major Penlington said that a now pricelist had just been issued dealing with seventy standard lines; in addition to those tho Department's workshops made special types of splints for special castSs. It had been found necessary, owing to tho increased cost of production, to inako increases in jpneos which averaged 20 per cent. The workshops wero established originally for tho purpose of supplying surgical appliances to men suffering from war disabilities, but it was now found that, a certain amount of work could bo undertaken for the general public, and was being undertaken in nil the linos listed. As a result of the decision of the Director-General of Medical Services to extend surgical bootmaking to all centres, surgical bootmakers have been appointed at Auckland, Trentham, and Ohristchurch t and it is expected that similar appointments will be made in the near futuro at Dunedin and Rotorua. The splint and limb department at the Chalmers Military Hospital, which supplies splinta and artificial limbs to returned soldier amputees, has passed recently from tho control of the Vocational Department to that of thu A.D.M.S. Although the number of men in the various military hospitals is diminishing, Major Penlington says that the interest taken by tho men in the classes is compensating for the decrease in numbers. At "present tho number of men taking classes is the same as it was in December last. 11l tho hospitals where classes are provided, Sβ of the men are attending them. Instruction is given in seventy different subjects. The Department now allows men to make articles for their own use by refunding tho cost of the material to the Department, and contributing one-third of that amount to tho men's Recreation Fund. Men were taking advantage of this extensively, and are making articles of furniture, clothing, boots, saddlerj'. etc., for their own use. Tho object of tho Vocational Department is not, however, to enable soldio 1 -- paticnts to mako pocket money while iu hospital; but, firstly, to help them to lxjcomo mentally and physicaliy fiound, and, secondly, to givo them instruction which will bo of value to them in their future life.