BLIND INSTITUTE BAND.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19481, 30 November 1928, Page 14

BLIND INSTITUTE BAND.

CONCERT ON SATURDAY. A band concert will bo given by the boys from tho Jubilee Institute of Blind, Auckland, in the Masonic Hall on Saturday. These boys wero only formed-into a band 18 months ago, and so marked waa tlieir progress and so excellent the musibul standard attained, that tho Trustees decided to reward them for their lino efforts and to afford tho many old and generous friends o£ the Institute in the south tho opportunity of gauging something of the excellent work being done. Although most people are awaro of tho existence of the Blind Institute in. Auckland, they have not known a great deal of what actually is being done. Recently a series of sales of goods mado at tho Institute have been lield. : at various agricultural shows, where milch i astonishment 'has been expressed at the perfect tradesmanship of the work, and indce'd, not a few have been sceptical as to whether it was the genuine product o£ blind workers. However, visitors to Auckland who have inspected this interesting establishment testify to tho fact that there is no doubt about it. In the workshop, which is a handsomo .brick building, there are no fewer 1 than seventy men and women in constant employment. Some, indeed, have been at tho Instituto since its opening thirty-eight years ago. Soven' sighted instructors and instructresses supervise the workers, attending to such things as are not within tho capacity of the blind workers—r-dyeing, singeing, painting, preparing material, and finishing off. During tho last financial year tho sales of goods, amounted to £7026,. and the wages paid the blind workers wero. £6020.- ;

Tlio principal manufactures are baskets of all kinds, shapes, sizes, and colours, seagrass furniture, door mats, punnets, socks, ships' fenders, and nets, while in another department pianos, and organs are repaired, and piano tuners trained. Of the fourteen boys in the band, some are drawn from the workshops, six are piano-tuning students, and four are from the senior class in the school. _ They are good all-round boys, who enjoy life as well as anyone They have all passed through their primary education, and most of them have tho following accomplishments—reading and writing in Braille, typewriting, swimming, playing cards, and playing tho piano. ;It will do people good to see the way in which great difficulties can bo mastered,'.'aiid we recommend everyone to turn up to give the boys a very henrtv welcome.