Principal Sexton was sent as a Nova Scotian delegate to this conference and explained his ideas. He asserted that nearly all maimed and crippled men could be put on their feet again as wage-earners by a short, practical, intensive course in vocational training. The men were adults who had already had some industrial experience and consequently would not need as much or as long training as youths being apprenticed in trades. During the last twenty-five years industry had been sub-divided into many specialized occupations, in many of which little physical effort was required. Advantage could be taken of the vocational experience of the soldier previous to enlistment and, in most cases, he could be trained for some occupation in the same industry where his disability would not be a handicap. That is, the crippled men could be moved side-wise in industry to some parallel occupation or, by means of a little education, could be lifted up higher and fitted for some supervisory position as boss, foreman, or superintendent. Thus, a structural steel worker, with some physical deficiency, would be trained for a position of draftsman. The coal miner, who was disabled, so that he could no longer dig coal at the face could, in a comparatively short time, be trained for the position of shot-firer, fire boss, mine examiner, overman, underground foreman, or mine manager. There were endless opportunities for fitting men for occupations that required more technical knowledge, more skill, and more mental capacity. Most of the Canadian soldiers had not much opportunity for vocational education in their youth, and the great majority could be prepared for better jobs with their disability than they had been able to qualify for before they enlisted. It was pointed out that technical schools could offer some courses for disabled men, and that the rest of them could be given intensive short apprenticeships in industry. The disabled men and their families should be supported in respectability during the course of training. It was emphasized that the soldier in the hospital should begin to do some work as soon as possible, so that he would not lose his habits of industry by too prolonged an idleness during treatment. This method of technical education would be expensive, but it would more than repay the country by making almost all the disabled men competent to maintain themselves as wage-earners for the remainder of their lives, and eliminate the great proportion of indigent, idle pensioners that had succeeded other great wars. The conference in September, 1915, enthusiastically recommended that the Military Hospitals Commission proceed to develop vocational training of disabled soldiers along the lines proposed. Soon after this steps were taken to put the suggestions into actual practice. Principal Sexton was appointed, under the Commission, as Vocational Officer for Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, which office he has held for four and one-half years.