DISABLED FIGHTING MEN.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 349, 7 February 1917, Page 2

DISABLED FIGHTING MEN.

CARE AND ADVICE DURING TRAINING. A paper on the “’Problem of the Disabled Soldiers and Sailors” was read recently at the London Schoo of Economics by Major Robert ‘Mitchell, Director of Education at the Polytechnic, Regent street, and honorary director of technical studies at Queen’s Mary’s Hospital, Roehampten. The lecturer read a letter from Sir Alfred Keogh, who wrote: — “You are quite at liberty to say that the Secretary of State for War has relegated to me the problem paper. Next, as president of the with which you are dealing in your Association of Technical Institutions, I know that these institutions can be charged with the training and that, indeed, nothing can replace them. Furthermore, since training and treatment must go on together, this postulates a necessity for unification of the authorities of the technical institutions and of the local hospitals to produce an efficient working system. Since, too, as you have pointed out, the problem varies with the locality, each such combination should work out its own local problem in its own way. Thus a combination of doctors, trainers, employers, employee.-, and municipal or civic authorities is the first step to be taken, and the sooner that is done on their own initiative the better, so as to be ready when a few details, now awaiting the decision of the Secre- (

tary of State for War, are settled.” Major Mitchell declared, says the “Times” of November 2, that the State must take immediate steps in this matter, for the problem was a national one and intimately* connected with that of unemployment. First, the disabled men needed advisory assistance, and it must include medical advice and advice conicerning the most suitable vocation for the disabled soldier. The medical man would be required to consider whether his patient could return to his former kind ot business —a cabinetmaker, foi example taking up the position of a diaugl-m m to the firm or a wages clerk : wnether he was fit io entei son < othei . trade • or whether, thougn unable j to exercise a trade, he might not ■ undertake administrative work, j When the men had selected ° couise ( of training it should not be left to ! them to decide whether thev still! needed medical assistance, but thei should be compelled to report regu- * larly to their medical officer. No 5 disabled man should be discharged > from the army or navy until he vas again ready to take his place as a i productive unit in the economic I system. Training and medical committees I working in conjunction with tne! local authorities and hospitals and technical institutions, should be t formed without delay to supervise; the welfare of the disabled in each! locality. The committees should in- i elude doctors, employers and repre-1 sentative employees. To these co mittees would be relegated power; of military control over the men * during their training, and thev < should be entrusted with the selec-1 tion and classification of the men! for their courses of training, tlie > supervision of their training and ; physical and medical progress, and i the procuring of suitable employ-1 merit for those who passed satisfac- j torily through the training course, i The cost of maintenance and train- j ing should be borne by the State, j and should be regulated by respon- i sible officials appointed by the Secretary for War.