As examples of the splendid cooperation which may be obtained, just note the following special reports taken from the files of actual cases. The first is a letter from a training agency addressed to a trainee whose attendance and work were not up to the standard. A copy of this letter, of course, was directed to the rehabilitation. office.

Mr. H. D. B.

MARCH 25, 1925.

MY DEAR MR. B: I have noticed that your attendance has not been as regular as it should have been. It seems to me that under the circumstances, the students of the State, should, in reality, have a better record than the students who are paying their own way through school. The public (or taxpayer) is responsible for your training, and the consideration which you are getting from the State and Federal Government as the taxpayers' representatives, should not be abused. While I do not like to mention this subject, I feel that it has become necessary. I am forwarding a copy of this letter to the State supervisor.

DEAR MR. N.: We have been keeping in touch with this young man who has not been able to be in for quite a while, although we thought each week that he would soon be able to do so. In the meantime he has been taking his training second hand from his brother Jerry who is also in training with us, and now he has decided that he would like to have the home-study records so as to accelerate his progress and carry it forward in that way while his leg keeps him at home.

He had to go to the hospital and let them break his leg over again in order to release certain nerves that were pinched in the bone after it was set after a previous fracture. But they promise him now that when his leg gets wholly well, he will be able to get about and he is quite anxious to keep going in telegraphy.

In this connection, will say that he has made a request for a vibroplex. I referred him to you as I do not want the State to get the idea that I am simply trying to unload such things on the student, although I fully appreciate the advantage of having the instrument, and it is our intention to train him to such a degree of efficiency as will render it imperative that he have it.

IN RE. J. B.

DEAR Mr. B.: Referring to your letter of September 4, relative to the progress being made by Mr. J. B., we find upon investigation, that he is doing very fair work. The report from his teachers is as follows: "Not very strong in English, spelling, reading, but eager to cover what he misses. All things considered, John is getting from his class all that could be expected, and profiting greatly. Not very good in arithmetic, but tries very hard. John is doing very good work in penmanship."

We trust that the above report covers all that you would know and feel that Mr. B. is really doing his best.

Yours truly,

(Signed)

B. and S. BUSINESS COLLEGE

Another good example of conscientious work on the part of the training agency is shown by the following letter:

Mr. H. D. B., State Supervisor.

AUGUST 4, 1925.

DEAR MR. B.: We recommend that Mr. John F., who has studied with us for some time, be withdrawn. We believe that John is capable of maintaining himself in the line of work that we have taught him and that it is to his best interest that training cease. If there is any further information we can give you, we shall be glad to do so.

Yours truly,

(Signed)

W. F. R., President.

The foregoing examples of faithful cooperation on the part of schools are cited for the purpose of showing the advantage of dealing with institutions that are on the square and that are interested in the success of rehabilitation. Many institutions will recommend a student be withdrawn from their school when it is found that he is not doing well, even though it means a financial loss to themselves. Supervision of trainees who are receiving training on the job or in commercial establishments, present quite a different problem from that of a school trainee, and is much more difficult to handle.

The business establishment is not organized for the purpose of giving training, but for the purpose of doing certain other things, and any training program which they may be induced to enter into is a side issue. They will not, nor can they be expected to neglect regular business for a side line. Unless there can be created a sympathetic state of mind on the part of the head of the institution and also upon the heads of the departments or foremen, from whom the trainee is expected to receive his instruction, there is little hope of getting the best results. It is rather difficult to secure an organized course of training through a business establishment whereby the trainee receives the maximum benefit for the minimum of expense in time, except in a few of the large concerns where they train and specialize their employees for the jobs which they are to fill.

The rehabilitation department can not depend upon the average business house or factory for such close supervision of the trainee's

work as is given by a good school, therefore this method of training requires more close personal supervision on the part of the rehabilitation department than does school training. This is necessary in order to make certain that the trainee is promoted as rapidly as is consistent with the program as laid out.

The foregoing is not intended to discourage the training on the job method of rehabilitation. In many cases it is the most practical method and excellent results have been obtained through it. In fact, some of our most striking cases have been rehabilitated through training on the job. However, a glance at the Federal reports discloses the fact that this method is not used as extensively as the school-training method.

The tutorial method of training appears to be less used than any other method, and requires very close personal supervision on the part of the rehabilitation department.

After training is completed and placement, or job adjustment, has been effected, we have reached the most critical stage of the program, and now real supervision is necessary in order that our rehabilitant becomes properly adjusted to his new work and surroundings; that he make good with his employer, and that all parties concerned are satisfied, otherwise all of our efforts, time, and expense may be lost. It is a wise plan which contemplates the close supervision and as extended a period of follow-up as is required in each individual case. The best method of maintaining proper supervision, as indicated by experience, appears to be for the field agent or worker who forms a contact, to visit his case and the training agency regularly, or as frequently as conditions will permit. These visits should continue during the training or preparatory period, and for a sufficient length of time after placement to make sure that rehabilitation is actually completed, at which time the closure is made.

Field workers should at all times keep in close touch with supervisors or directors, who will advise and assist them in their many difficult problems.

Supervisors, as the title implies, supervise the work of the field. force and the training agencies.

Supervision being such a broad subject and of such vital importance to the rehabilitation program, I believe that more good will come from an open discussion where all may participate, therefore I have not attempted a lengthy paper going into details, for obviously, I could only discuss the subject from the point of view of the work in my own State. I shall be very glad to hear the subject discussed by delegates from other States.

Chairman FOSTER. Mr. Woodruff of Michigan will talk to us on "Length of course." Mr. Woodruff.

TRAINING METHODS: LENGTH OF COURSE

C. N. WOODRUFF, Rehabilitation Officer, Detroit, Mich.

Mr. Chairman, ladies, and gentlemen: I do not know which general policies I should mention regarding this subject of "Length of course of training." I do not believe it can be generalized. I think I can give you a few specific instances of the length of time it has taken our local Detroit office to train various students in several courses, and we will have to let it go at that.

I think that from the supervisor's point of view, some careful consideration should be given to the cost-the number that can be trained in one year with the funds available. I expect that every supervisor knows where he stands by this time in this respect.

Since we have, and may specify, a definite amount of money to spend for actual training work, it is possible to determine the maximum number of trainees that may be carried at any one time. Over that particular number we have either got to cut down the number of trainees or cut down the length of training. And probably the best thing to do is to cut down the length of training. If you have the trainees to handle, let's try to handle them.

Outside of that, time is not a very big element to consider, especially if you are not paying maintenance. In Michigan we are not paying maintenance and at this time we do not have to worry about that in particular.

If the man can spend two years rather than one year to get his vocation there is nothing lost on our part if we let him take that additional time. Time in this case, then, is not an element to consider seriously. If, however, we are paying maintenance for the trainee it is a different consideration.

In institution and factory training there seems to be some difference in the time required. I think that the institutional private instruction probably takes longer than the equivalent training in factories.

Piano tuning is one of our vocations which has been taught in private training only. It has required usually 8 to 12 months. That vocation has been used almost exclusively for partial and totally blind people.

Mechanical dentistry takes about eight months.

The professions of law and medicine, and the like, consume three. four, and more years.

Four months is considered the average length of time of training for auto mechanics (alternating theory and practice method).

Commercial training takes from 6 to 24 months, depending altogether on the student. Of course, if you are training a bookkeeper you can usually get a man out in one year, provided the trainee has

reasonable groundwork of fundamentals. If there is a combination of stenography and bookkeeping, the course takes longer.

Machine-shop work in institutional training requires four to five months, and that doesn't make a machinist by any means. You get a man who is semiskilled in that length of time. We feel that it is up to him after the four or five months training. He can then go in and run a shaper, if the work is set up for him, or some of the other machines, but he has a long way to go after that. We believe that at the end of that period he is equipped to take hold of the program itself and complete his own training.

There is one thing we should all be sure of in our training for professions, and that is to know what the legal requirements are, the license requirements of each of these vocations. For instance, a stationary engineer requires a license after he has completed the course, before he is allowed to go to work. We all ought to know what the requirements are. We should know also the prerequisites in all of these training courses.

Pharmacy and optometry in almost all States require a highschool education. We should be well acquainted with the various prerequisites in each proposed course in which we attempt to train

a man.

Chairman FOSTER. Now we are going back to our discussions for the remainder of the period, beginning with Mr. Brown of Wisconsin, who will discuss "Maintenance."

DISCUSSION

MAINTENANCE

J. H. BROWN, Rehabilitation Agent, Wisconsin

When this subject was assigned by our chairman, it was understood that the purpose was to stimulate a wider interest in the maintenance provision in rehabilitation acts. The term "maintenance" as used in this paper may be defined as the personal expenses of a trainee during the training period.

We have found in our State a large number of training prospects who have their job objective intelligently selected, but because of lack of funds are unable to carry out their plans. In a few cases it is only necessary for the rehabilitation office to relieve them ɔf their school expenses to make their plans possible, but we find a large number who are unable to contribute anything more than their time and personal efforts.

We find others who can secure a part of their maintenance from their families or friends, and another group who are able to defray part of their personal expenses by working either part time or out