Resignation Of Trustees Of Foundation For Blind

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28561, 15 April 1958, Page 18

Resignation Of Trustees Of Foundation For Blind

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, April 14. The resignation of four members of the board of trustees of the New Zealand Foundation for the Blind subsequent to the defeat of two of their friends at the election of trustees at the annual meeting would come as a shock to all lovers of fair play, said Mr C. C. White, president of the Dominion Association for the Blind, today. Referring to the resignation of the chairman of the board, (Sir Keith Park), and Messrs C. I. Nathan and C. Jenkin and Mrs K. J. Ward, Mr White said: “All the rules of the game were observed The result was decisive, and it would seem that we could expect a more sportsmanlike acceptance of the decision from ‘big business’ men claiming such high qualifications for public trusteeship. ■ “Sir Keith Park’s unwarranted and unworthy attack on the Dominion Association for the Blind only serves to publish inexcusable ignorance of the aims and purposes of that organisation, which he has never made any serious attempt to remedy. “If and when Sir Keith Park is called upon to produce his ‘prominent blind men,’ the authors of sinister warnings, it might be found they are not prominent in the counsels and confidence ot the blind community. Association’s Aims “The Dominion Association for the Blind was founded in 1945 to provide blind people with a channel of organised self-expres-son and medium of intelligeni and effective representation, and to demonstrate the competence of blind people to think and speak and act in their own common interests. Throughout the years of its existence it has served to unite the blind people in this l common purpose. I “The association has a comparatively small membership of •500.” continued Mr White. “It should be noted this membership represents almost 100 per cent, of the active and working blind

people, who would naturally be expected to take an interest in the shaping of policy. “The association’s officers and administrators are all blind, and the manner in which the affairs of the association are conducted has often been the subject of most fair comment by prominent citizens. The work of the association has always been in the interests of all the blind people. “I hope the Government will use its constitutional means to restore the board to the practical working basis meriting the public’s generous support as soon as possible,” Mr White said.