LONG TRIP IN WHEEL CHAIR

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29361, 14 November 1960, Page 22

LONG TRIP IN WHEEL CHAIR

Disabled Man’s Project

(Neto Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. November 13

A 56-year-old disabled man. Mr H. Cadogan, will set out from Auckland in a motorised thfeewh eeled invalid chair on December 27 in an attempt to travel over 1700 miles round the North Island in 10 days. The principal aim of his trip is to publicise the 1000-strong Auckland Disabled Citizens’ Society, which he founded 20 years ago and of which he is now president. “I’m out to prove that the disabled can do it.” Mr Cadogan said today.

New Plymouth will be his first stop and then he will go on to Wanganui. Wellington. Waipukurau. Gisborne, Opotiki. Rotorua. Mount Maunganui. Tauranga. and back to Auckland. He will spend three days in Wellington to organise a branch of his society. Automobile Association patrols will be alerted along Mr Cadogan’s route and every assistance' he requires Will be given to him. but he does not anticipate any' trouble apart from a tyre changcz His vehicle can do 50 m.p.h. orb the open road. He said he haff had it for five years “and four crashes.” . •

Mr Cadogan was involved in a motor-cycle accident in 1934, breaking his neck and back. Resigning himself to being disabled for the rest of his life, ne advertised in a newspaper askdng people in similar circumstances to join him in forming a society for the disabled.

Asked why he did not plan t<j spend more than 10 days on hir r trip. Mr Cadogan said: “The fac, tory I work in can’t spare me for long. I’m the only one who cam operate the biggest machine.”

Facts are to the mind what food is to the body.—Edmund Burke.