BLINDED SOLDIERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 268, 12 November 1935, Page 8

BLINDED SOLDIERS

SPLENDID SUCCESS.

WORK OF ST. DUNSTAN'S

FINE BEBOBD OF SERVICE

The twentieth annual report of St. Dunstan's for War-blinded Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen, just issued, states that more than CO per cent of the 2000 war-blinded men under its care still give "active service" to their country by doing useful work. Others who cannot work can be cheerful and courageous —and are. Thus time has vindicated the judgment of Sir Arthur Pearson, the founder of St. Dunstan's, who said 20 years ago that these men must go back to their homes and lead normal lives. "A thousand/ , the report adds, "are occupied in home handicrafts, raw materials, supervision and sales being arranged by St. Dunstan's. Two hundred and fifty thousand articles made by war-blinded men were sold by St. Dunstan's last year." A surprising number have made small businesses out of their handicrafts and have become shopkeepers or small masters employing one or two hands of their own. Over 200 earn a living in professional , pursuits such as massage, telephone operating and shorthand-typewriting—and there are lawyers, clergymen, lecturers and business men. Two hundred are. smallholders or poultry farmers, their responsibilities varying from a few score of prize birds kept as a hobby to many thousands. St. Dunstan's Central Farm and its staff raise stock, supervise, market, teach and help. For all the blinded soldiers the State has provided subsistence by way of war pensions; wives and friends have given companionship; and St. Dunstan's has added esprit de corps and the material resources for organised work and play. St. Dunstan's Imperial Work. The good will for St. Dunstan's docs not abate as the years pass. Income is maintained, legacies have been more numerous; but the number of these is to be attributed to the passing away of the older generation. Before these special friends of St. Dunstan's have all gone, before the war becomes a memory, St. Dunstan's must be furnished with the funds required to guarantee the care of the blinded soldiers until the last of them dies. The policy of the council of St. Dunstan's accordingly is to raise a fund based upon actuarial calculation, during the years to co.ne, that will make certain that this amount is realised. St. Dunstan's has made its own contribution to Empire sentiment. Blinded Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans—all were St. Dunstan's guests for a year or more after the war. They are still under the care of St. Dunstan's or its branches or afliliated organisations. The story of their success is the same as that of the men in the Old Country. Some have become leaders of Dominion movements which have done much to raise the level of national welfare for all the blind. Tho title of this year's annual report is "I Admire Your Courage." These words were used by the Prince of Wales when he was addressing a St. Dunstan's jubilee reunion at the Royal Albert Hall. Ho then said he had met St. Dunstan's men in all the corners of the earth and that ho was impressed by the way in which they had settled down cheerfully to different lives, anxious to help themselves in every way they could. He ended by saying, "I congratulate St. Dunstan's, but most of all I congratulate you. I admire your courage, your resource and the way in which you have overcome blindness." The Talking Book. The report also refers to the "talking book." It points out that there are few greater pleasures for the blind than reading aloud, but that wives and friends arc not always available. The "talking book," it says, will supplement the human reader. There will be a small machine of the gramophone type which will read to the blind person in his own home from specially made records kept in a central library. The machine also is of a special type because, of course, the records must revolve at a much slower speed than the normal, but it is inexpensive and simple and the blind man will be able to work it himself. The records are 12inch gramophone discs and each aide reads for 25 minutes. The whole of an average book would go on 10 to 12 double-sided records. Parliament has granted special postage rates for the records and authors and publishers are giving free copyright.