CARE OF INMATES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21555, 28 July 1933, Page 11

CARE OF INMATES

INSTITUTE'S FINE WORK MANY USEFUL ACTIVITIES CREDIT TO THE DOMINION The manifold activities of the New Zealand Institute for the Blind, and the self-reliant spirit shown by the governing body and fostered in the inmates, were whole-heartedly commended by the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, in a speech yesterday afternoon at the laying of the foundationstone of the new home for the aged blind in the grounds of the institute. His Excellency, who is president of the institute, intimated that he had decided to become a life member. " I am uneasily conscious that this ceremony has been accelerated—with some inconvenience to the trustees — to enable Her Excellency and myself to participate in it before leaving Auckland to-morrow for other parts of the Dominion," said Lord Bledisloe. "Our thanks are due to them for enabling us to bo present, for to absorb for a time the wholesome, sunny atmosphere of this remarkable institution is always a tonic, and to help it in any way possible is a privilege. Financial Handicaps "Whenever I see the word 'wonderful' in the prospectus of a company or the annual report of an institution, instinct tells me that it is verbal hyperbole or exaggeration and that such flam buoyant phraseology is intended to draw money from my pocket for some questionable enterprise not beneficial to myself or to anyone else. When 6 I studied your annual report last evening I found in it the word 'wonderful.' I did not stop reading, and throw the report aside; I read it four times and came to realise that the word was fully justified. 1 then decided, with Her Excellency's approval—without which I do nothing—to become a lifo member. (Applause.) • "I claim to be, if not a superoptimist, at least a hopeful enthusiast. There has been undeniably much of late t-o damp optimism, but set against this on the credit side of the national balance-sheet there has been much to arouse enthusiasm and confidence, and not the least is the inspiring, unflagging work which is being carried on for the welfare of the blind in this Dominion. In spite of the loss, through the country's financial stringency, of the Government subsidy, the falling off of subscriptions, and a reduction of interest upon investments, with a consequent material shrinkage of the annual revenue of this institute, its work has in no way abated and the comforts and amenities provided for the blind have been fully maintained. Moreover, the much-longed for and salutary development which we have met here to initiate to-day has been resolutely put in hand. Provision for Old Age " The philanthropic and educational activities of- the institute are in fact being carried on more vigorously than ever, and the scientific and businesslike conduct of its affairs is beyond all praise. It is a credit to the Dominion, and I am proud to be associated with it as its president. The institute is indeed fortunate in its trustees, its capable and charming director, its medical, teaching and domestic staff, its voluntary sales agents, and its generous and unselfish supporters. Its industrial results are a standing tribute to the enlightened efficacy of its work. A large proportion of its well cared for and happy institutional family are earning their livelihood, and thereby maintaining their self-confidence, their selfrespect and their joy of living. And those who, through age or incapacity, are unable to do so, are now about to be provided with a comfortable home amid congenial surroundings, supplied with Braille literature, wireless entertainment, friendly social intercourse, and other sources of happiness and contentment.

I A Firm Foundation "There is one word that has been used regarding those about to enter ' the home with which I thoroughly disagree. If I remember rightly, the home is described as 'a place where they may | spend their declining years.' I do not » like that at all. There should be no 'declining years.' (Applause.) If only the home for elderly people is carried on with the same high degree of efficiency as are all other departments of the institute, their years will be not failing, but full of mental activity, happiness and comfort. "The foundation of this new edifico is well and truly laid, and no less 1 truly has it the firm foundation of the ; confidence, respect and practical sympathy, not only of the blind, who, fortunately, are relatively few for the number of our population, but of the ' whole community of these islands. The workshops, established six years ago, are turning out handiwork of high merit and artistic attractiveness. During the last completed financial year nearly £IO.OOO has been realised by the sale of goorjg of real utility or ornament, or both. To purchase these requires no effusion of special sympathy for the disability of their makers—no mere impulse of charity. For they are a good bargain. They are efficiently constructed by competent craftsmen, they are strong and durable, and are good value for the price charged for them. Outside Activities "No less commendable than the manual work is the efficiency of the institute's numerous musicians. Its band has improved immensely during the last three years and can, without exaggeration, be reckoned among tho best bands in the Dominion. The remarkably high standard of health maintained in these premises is a great tribute to the magnificent services of the honorary medical staff and the careful attention of the matron and her assistants. ' This is the only institute for the blind in New Zealand and it caters not only for those sheltered within its walls, but, by advice, after-care and the material assistance afforded by its invaluable Arthur Pearson Memorial Fund, for all blind persons throughout the Dominion. It is a noble cause which merits wide and generous sympathy on tho part of the public, and all the more so because it promotes sturdy independence and a capacity and desire for vocational usefulness among those afflicted with blindness, which not only makes them better citizens and happier people, but eases the financial burden which would otherwise fall with greater gravity upon tho State. "Self-help and courage arc writ large upon every page of tho modern history of .this institute, and. in a land of generous-hearted people which boasts justifiably of its sturdy, self-reliant pioneers and of the heroic achievements of its soldiers in the Great War, these qualities will ever evoke the admiration and practical sympathy which they so richly merit."