12th LIFE MEMBER OF WISE OWL CLUB

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30396, 21 March 1964, Page 15

12th LIFE MEMBER OF WISE OWL CLUB

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, March 19. An Auckland man became the twelfth man in New Zealand to win life membership to the Wise Owl Club of New Zealand today. He is Mr A. Garus, of Papatoetoe. The club was started about five years ago, and membership is restricted to those who have saved their sight by wearing safety glasses. Mr Garus, who is foundry supervisor at Speedway Products, Ltd., Penrose, saved the sight of one of his eyes while working in the factory. He had been standing about 20 feet away from a grinding machine when he was struck by an object which shattered the glass of his goggles and cut him about the right eye. Today he was presented with a certificate of the club membership by the employment officer of the New Zealand Foundation for the Blind (Mr L. J. Voice). Also present were the director of the National Safety Association (Mr R. F. Aitken) and the association’s Auckland field officer (Mr G. V. Ward). In the last few years there

had been a very strong movement for eye safety in industry, said Mr Aitken. Three years ago, he said, not even 1000 pairs of safetyglasses were sold in New Zealand in a year. There were 80,000 pairs sold last year, and it was expected that about 100,000 would be sold this year.