WORK FOR WELFARE OF BLIND

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 259, 29 July 1937, Page 10

WORK FOR WELFARE OF BLIND

Developments Overseas SIR CLUTHA MACKENZIE RETURNS Sir Clutha Mackenzie, director of the New Zealand Institute for the Blind, returned to Wellington yesterday by the Rangitata after six months’ absence abroad, when lie visited a number of organisations for the welfare of the blind in Britain, Switzerland and Italy. Though he had found little that was new in method, he was glad, he said, that a much larger proportion of blind persons—in fact, almost all—were now provided for in one way or another in Britain. In Italy training methods had made a great advance since last he was there.

In its broad principles the work in New Zealand was thoroughly up-to-date, but he had looked with envj’ at some of the magnificent buildings and grounds overseas- In the New Zealand Institute they were in need of more buildings and a higher standard of comfort and ho hoped that the necessary money might be forthcoming before long from the public and the Government.

It was, of course, their ambiHon that an institute for the blind in these days should be as little institutional and as much like home as possible, said Sir Clutha. British workshops for the blind were finding great difficulty in marketing their output of basketware, brushware, doormats and like goods, in the face of keen competition both from machine-made goods and sweated goods from the Continent. To keep blind men and women in full employment was the first essential to their happiness and health of mind and body and he hoped that the public in New Zealand would, by their purchases, keep this problem solved so far as the New Zealand institute was concerned.

Sir Clutha said he had acquired useful knowledge in a number of minor matters —new sources of supplies of raw material, new designs, useful new forms of raised maps for school use, and supplies of the new talking books. Purchased from the profits of the last successful tour, he had brought back a fine set of the best British silver band instruments for the institute’s band, which should help to improve further the standard already attained. St. Dunstan’s, and his old friends Sir lan and Lady Fraser, continued their magnificent w’ork for blinded soldiers, sailors and airmen, splendid, cheerful, useful fellows, large numbers of whom he had had the privilege of meeting at special Coronation reunions in London, Portsmouth, Oxford, Manchester and Liverpool. All sent warm messages to their old comrades of the war in New Zealand. He was much indebted to St. Dunstan’s for the assistance it had given him ; in fact, the gen-erous-hearted hospitality all overseas visitors had experienced throughout Britain during the Coronation year had been unbounded and he returned to New Zealand aglow with admiration and affection for the Old Country.