JUBILEE INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 160, 7 July 1909, Page 3

JUBILEE INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND.

The nineteenth, annual meeting , of the Jubilee Institute for the Wind -was held at the Institute, Maaukau-road, Parnell, this afternoon.

The annual report stated that the past year had been one of steady progress and good work. TKfe new building, •which had been in course of erection during the last two years wae sufficiently advanced tb receive the women and children on their return from the Christmas holidays. Its occupation enabled the trustees to make arrangements for the removal of the temporary premises and other buildings, and it was resolved to carry out this and other work before the official opening of the new Institute- by His Excellency the Governor. Many pages would be required to enumerate the various works of alteration and improvements necessitated by the approaching completion of the building—lawns, paths and drive to be formed, removal of the old buildings to other positions, adaptation of them to the new uses to which they will be put, erection of a new brick laundry with drying and ironing rooms, formation of playgrounds for the children, a new roadway to the workshops, dividing fences, equipment and furnishing the. new building, and many other items. The opportunity has been embraced of making very necessary additions and alterations to the men's quarters, and all the old buildings required painting. Much of this work has been completed, and the remainder is in progress. It will be ,iinneceesary (to ipoint (Out that very heavy expenditure has been incurred, which has absorbed all the receipts from the Mason bequest and a. large portion, of the building fund, and still leaving a large indebtedness for work in hand. The trustees gratefully acknowledge the receipt of £2000 from Government, being the balance of a grant of £3000 towards the cost of the building. Apart from this special expenditure, it is pointed out that the ordinary work will entail an increased outlay. The larger buildIng requires a larger staff. It has been found necessary to engage a resident assistant master, and to increase the domestic staff; and in many ways the efficient prosecution of the work can only be maintained at an unavoidably heavier annual expense. The instruction and training of the blind differ very considerably from similar work among the sighted. The teaching, which liP. eludes very much more than scholastic work, needs to be individual. The amount received from Government, Charitable Aid Boards, parents and friends for maintenance (food, clothing, etc.) of the pupils goes some way towards the total oost, but the trustees will be more than ever dependent upon the practical sympathy and generosity of the community to proyide the balance. I They receive Government subsidy on the contributions, and any fall in these' is I reflected in the fall of subsidy.