THE TRAINING OF DISABLED SOLDIERS.
[To THE EDITOR or THE " SPECTATOR:1 Snt,—The wide powers of the Local and Joint War Pensiota Committees under the last Royal Warrant for pensions of disabled soldiers and seamen are not sufficiently known. Under Section 6 of this Warrant disabled mon may receive a course of training in a technical institution or otherwise; any charges, fees, or expenses not otherwise provided for may be paid for them; and in addition they may receive the maximum ordinary pension of 27s. 0d. a week or the alternative pension under Section 3, which- ever is the higher, as well as an amount equal to 5s. per week for each week of the period of training, payable at the termination of such period. Further, in the case of a man whose training necessitates his living away from home, maximum allowances may be paid his wife, children, or dependants. According to the terms of this Warrant, there ie its limitation but the discretion of the Committee as to the nature or duration of the training, and it is important that it should be appreciated that training is not restricted to manual occupations, but includes training at any place in any profession, calling, or occupation for which she Local War Pensions Committee may decide to recommend any applicant. Disabled men are thus placed in a position to take up or resume training not only in technical institutes but in the Universities and in various professional schools. As courses in these institutions usually begin iu September or October, appli- cation should be made at ante to a Local War Peneione Com- mittee to authorize training. There is no need for applicants to wait until the publication of the schemes of training, which the Local and Joint War Pensions Committees have been instructed to draw up and administer by the Ministry of Pensions. By taking advantage of the facilities and machinery provided, thou- sands of disabled men may be trained in occupations, old or new, which aro essential to the elation, the importance of which is only beginning to be generally recognized and appreciated; e.g., the chemical and allied industries.—I am, Sir, Ac.,
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