Monday, Jan. 13, 1919
The State University of New York will soon appoint three men to assist wounded Troy war veterans in learning new skills to better readjust to civilian life, The Record reports. Troy school superintendent Arvie Eldred reportedly has recommended three men for the positions. Their names are being withheld pending their acceptance of the offer to serve as “dollar-a-year” men, with expenses. The federal government has appropriated $2,000,000 for the retraining of crippled veterans. “Any man, who through service for the government has been disabled so that he cannot make his living in the way he did before entering the service is entitled to this sort of training through action of Congress,” our reporter explains. The three advisers will specialize in specific sectors of employment: industrial, commercial and agricultural. “For those who have lost a leg it is thought something along the commercial line would be the most practical to train for,” our writer notes, “Although the industrial field might offer something to those who have lost an arm, a [commercial] profession would be the more appropriate, particularly if the soldier has a high school training. “So far as possible the initiative will not be left for the soldiers to take. When the members of the advisory board hear that a certain hero has returned home, they will visit his home, tell him the country is anxious to help him and explain what the training can do for him.”
All expenses will be paid for veterans who take part in the program. Married veterans will receive an addition $65 a month for household expenses. Adjusted for inflation, that’s equivalent to approximately $993 a month in 2019.
Albany Orphans Find Home Here
The Troy Orphan Asylum stands ready to welcome between 40 and 70 children who are likely to be thrown out of the Albany Orphan Asylum this winter, superintendent Herbert J. Hunn tells The Record. The Albany orphanage has demanded increased funding from the Albany County board of supervisors. The supervisors have rejected the call for $5 per orphan per week, offering $4 instead. If an agreement isn’t reached, children whose parents or guardians fail to provide $5 per week will be evicted. The Troy orphanage has approximately double the population of its Albany counterpart, but has room for about 100 additional children, or a total of 301, Hunn says. Occupancy is down in recent years thanks to stricter child-support laws and the establishment of widows’ pensions. The asylum charges $4 a week for “inmates” under age two, and $3 for the rest. Children outside Rensselaer County are accepted for $4.50 a week.