WAR-BLINDED MEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21919, 1 October 1934, Page 10

WAR-BLINDED MEN

worn: of st. dunstan's SIR lAN FRASER ARRIVES MONTH IN NEW ZEALAND On a month's visit to New Zealand before going to Melbourne as head of tho British delegation to tho Empire Service League conference there, Sir tan Fraser, M.P., chairman of St. Dunstan's Hostel for Blinded Soldiers and Sailors, London, arrived at Auckland by tho Aorangi from Vancouver yesterday, accompanied by Lady Fraser and their young daughter. Sir lan will be given a civic reception in tho-Town Hall concert chamber at noon to-day and will speak later at the weekly luncheon of the Auckland Rotary Club. He is to give a broadcast talk from IYA this evening. This is Sir Lin's first visit to New Zealand or Australia, but he has a number of friends among New Zealandera who, like himself, wore blinded in tho Great War. He and Mr. Clutha Mackenssio, now director of the New Zealand ■ Institute for the Blind, were together at St. Dunstan's for a long period from 1916 onward under Sir Arthur I'oarsion, and each of them married a member of the volunteer nursing staff. They have since met more than onco at Empire and international conferences in the interests of the blind. There aro several former St. Dunstan's men in New Zealand with whom Sir lan keppf; up a regular correspondence.' Reunions in Canada Speaking of his present journey, Sir lan Fruser isaid that ho spent a few day is in Toronto and was eutortainod at a reunion of about 25 blinded exservicemen associated with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. He met a group of eight or 10 in Vancouver and several others en route. "St. Dunstan's has made a strong bond of comradeship among us all ovor tho world," he added. "Most of us got to know'each other there in the year or two after the war." St. Dunstan's, ho explained, did not lack funds to carry on its work, which, of course, had changed in character as tho Great War receded into tho past. It continued to receive gifts and legacies, and its income from all sources was sufficient for the purpose. There were about 2500 blinded e:n-servicemen in the Empire, and the services of St. Dunstan's wore open to all of them. Ho believed that lately two South Africans and ono Now Zealandor had been undergoing special training there. At ons time St. Dunstan's had ha'd 800 inmates; now tho number was relatively small, although men who had gradually lost their sight through war disabilities continued to be admitted. There were 20 such new cases last year, and the number lately had been rather surprising and distressing. Tho major work was in looking after the 2000 men in Britain whom St. Dunstan's had trained, in helping them with their trades find aiding them to overoomo their difficulties. Dominion Arrangements Not many blinded ex-servicemen had emigrated to tho Dominions, but a conrideriable number of Canadians and about a donen Australians had settled in Britain, some probably because thoy had married English girls and others possibly because they could no longer follow farming pursuits in their homo countries. ■4n opportunity will be given to Sir lan and Lady Fraser "to meet Auckland blinded ex-servicemen at an afternoon I;ea gathering to-morrow and at a reception at tho Institute for the Blind ill the evening. With Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie, the visitors will tour the main centres of New Zealand and will then spend some time in the country before leaving Auckland for Australia on October 30, An Empire conference of blinded ex-servicemen is to be helid in Melbourne, and Mr. Mackenzie will leave by the same vessel to attend it.