LADY PEARSON, D.B.E.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19951, 19 November 1926, Page 14

LADY PEARSON, D.B.E.

COMING VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND. Lady Pearson,' Dai.E., widow of Sir C. Arthur Pearson, the woll-knowii newspaper proprietor and founder of St. Dunstan's, will be in New Zealand early in the coming year, but her stay here will not be long. She has booked her passage by the Cunard liner Franconia, which is announced to "cruise around the world through Southern Seas." The passengers from England for this luxury tour will leave Bristol on New Year's Day, and will join the Franconia at Kingstown (Jamaica). Auckland should be reached about February 18, Wellington about February 23, nnd the Milfora Sound excursion is timed for February 25. Lady Pearson, who will be accompanied by her niece, Miss Nancy Neele, has no relatives in New Zealand, but she has a brother in Melbourne whom she will see during the tour.

Lady Pearson’s great forte may perhaps lie said to be her natural gift for organising, and this was mauifes' jd during the war in several important directions. For instance, she organised the ■Queen’s Work for Women Fund, and she trained a number of blind people—soldiers and civilians —musically gifted, to give concerts all over the country. The financial results of these averaged £25,000 per year. In both these important war-time enterprises she, of course, had a large and efficient band of helpers. But it is perhaps as president of St. Dunstan’s that her name is best known to the world at largo. This is now a vast organisation, and though there may not be a great many more fresh cases of blindness that can be directly attributed to the effects of the war, there will always be the after-care interest and work on behalf of the S(. Dunstaners who are earning their livelihood all over the world. when the lust of the war-blinded men has been trained and settled, St. Dunstan’s _is still pledged to a life-long responsibility for them all. That is the maintenance of the widespread After-care Organisation, the work of which commences with the completion of the training of the blinded plan, an<T ends only with his death. Tips After-care Organisation, which is essentially a costly one to maintain, has but one aim and object in view—to smooth the way, as far as is humanly possible, for every war-blinded man from fho moment he leaves St. Dunstan’s. However fine the spirit, and however brave the outlook, the war-blinded man learns in the environment of St. Dunstan’s, it , is inevitable that, left, to fend for himself in the thousand and one difficulties and problems which must beset him, a great deal of the splendid work accomplished would bo gravely prejudiced. A helping hand here, a little service there, and always the opportunity to submit to the After-care Department any difficulties that on,;i up, means the whole difference between continued success and contented citizenship and the growing despondency of failure. All of those men living in the dominions it will bo Lady Pearson's endeavour »o see during the coming tour. Sir Arthur was devoted to the men and did all he could to help them to achieve victory over affliction. He buoyed them up by telling them they must not. regard themselves as invalids, but ns notnml persons handicapped merely by tho loss of sight, for ihey would ultimately have to compete in business and professions with men who could see. Sir Arthur himseif was threatened with blindness for four years before r.his affliction actually came upon him, and he had prepared himself to meet it. He oegan to study Braille long before he really needed it and then, perhaps.: he did not require to use it to the same extent ts the war blinded heroes because ho always had his secretaries and a devoted wife to help him. The St. Dunstaners looked upon Sir Arthur as their godfather, and he promised that he would see that they wore cared for for, the rest of their lives. On his death his widow was asked to become president, as she was regarded as the other half of Sir Arthur. In her the men all feel that they have someone whom they can approach personally at any time, and this feeling is a great comfort to them. Tall and graceful, Lady Pearson has a very charming personality, and it is easy to understand that the men repose so much confidence and trust in her. Her son. Sir Neville Pearson, is one of tho vice-presidents and the very active chairman of the executive council is Captain lan Fraser, C.8.E., the blind M.P. When the men were first being taught Braille Sir Arthur gave them watches with Braille characters, end these immediately were proud and useful possessions. They were encouraged thus to get on with the new method of learning to read, and they made rapid strides. It was interesting to tho instructors to find how readily many men learned tho characters, especially in thj case of men who previously had notbeen able to rend at all. Thev had rot the same difficulty of mastering Braille which many others found who had always been able to read. There are St„ Dunstaners in Canada, New Zealand. . Australia, and .South Africa, all of whom (the London corresnondent, of tho Daily Times writes) Lady Pearson looks forward with the greatest, pleasure to meet, again, .She will remain in South Africa for throe weeks This will bo tier first visit to tho=e countries, but she is we]] acquainted with parts of the East, She is looking forward with much zest to her trip to New Zealand. Lately she disposed of her London home, and, with the freedom that has thus come, she may spend some time longer in travel before looking for a new home outside London. ((’n».t lri"..H nn nave Iff'