of Governor Herbert K. O'Conor 779

tion which will eventually help him to be eligible for vocational rehabilitation.
This will make him a self-sustaining citizen instead of a charge upon the State.

The need of war industries for large numbers of workers has opened up
employment opportunities to hundreds of disabled persons who previously were
denied a chance to work. But this additional production has also increased
the number of industrial accidents, thereby adding to the load of the rehabilita-
tion service more and more each month.

To meet the extra demands that have been placed upon us, I have recently
approved a request for an amendment to the State public school budget for
$10, 000 additional of State funds for vocational rehabilitation. This will make
it possible to employ additional workers who will be able to rehabilitate many
of the cases which have had to be turned away. In the next budget I plan, to
increase the amount of the State's contribution for this work so. that all our
handicapped citizens may be trained to a life of usefulness and vocational com-
petence.

The primary purpose of this VOCATIONAL evening school program is to
offer continued educational opportunities to persons out of school who are em-
ployed and are seeking assistance in improving themselves on the job. Many
of those taking home economics are, for the most part, young married women
interested in becoming more proficient homemakers in household duties.

In order to give opportunities to UNEMPLOYED youths and adults, my
Administration for the first time provided an appropriation of $10, 000 in the
1940 budget for evening classes and 4800 persons took advantage of this
opportunity this year.

Maryland was the first State in the Country to organize classes to train
men 18 years old or ever in the essential defense industries. Eleven days after
the Federal National Defense Appropriation by Senator Tydings a Congress was
made available we actually opened classes for defense training.

from July, 1940, to September, 1942, the enrollment in pre-employment
courses given in Maryland has reached 36, 480, and I am pleased to note that
this includes women as well as men.

Supplementary courses have been organized for those individuals already
employed in War Production Industries who attend school during the hours they
are not at work in order to extend their knowledge and skills and upgrade them-
selves on the job. Between July, 1940, and September, 1942, the enrollment in
supplementary courses aggregated 49, 971.

In order to prepare out-of-school youth 17 years old, or over, in the rural
areas who are not accessible to these courses, instructions has been given in
operative care and repair of farm machinery, metal and wood work, and ele-
mentary electricity. This enrollment has totaled 7, 719.

To summarize, 94, 170 individuals have been trained in the courses offered
in this program, which is being rapidly expanded due to the increased need.

Four years ago I called attention to the fact that, although the require-
ments for preparation for teaching were much higher than they had been
formerly and that much greater demands were being placed upon the teacher