The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORTED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, JULY 27, 1914. INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 81, 27 July 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORTED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, JULY 27, 1914. INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND.

"Over two hundred persons have now experienced the benefits of residence, with tuition and training, in addition to a very large number who have been taught to read and write." This sentence in the report of the trustees of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind at Auckland for the year ending 31st March, 1914, gives in a nutshell the great benefit which the institution is to those unfortunates in the Dominion who have been deprived of the great blessing of sight. It is pleasing to nqte from the tAventy-fourth annual report which is just to hand that good progress has been made during the year in all departments of the Institute, and, besides, various efforts have been made for the betterment of the condition of those under the care of the officials. The services of the Press of the Dominion are gratefully acknowledged as well as special contributions of £5 and upwards. These i are all too few, being represented by nine subscribers, and in view of this fact the publication of these donors will be interesting. The trustees specially- mention the following:— Mr J. Powell (Westport, a life member), £lO 10s; Messrs E. Murphy (Gisborne), and A. Q. Townsend (Christchurch) £lO each; Mrs Walter I. Nathan (Wellington), Miss B. M. ' Joseph (Wellington), Mr J. Joseph (Wellington) and the Hon. H. W. Tucker (Gisborne) £5 5s each, and Mrs Hunter-Brown (Nelson), and Mr J.., N. Williams (Frimley) £5 each. It should be known that a large number of books for the blind in Braille and Moon have been added during the year, and that these are available for the blind of the Dominion free of charge, being delivered from and to the Institute free of charge by the Postal Department. The trustees express the wish to be informed of any blind people not at present on the Institute's lists, who would like to avail themselves of the advantages of the library. The exhibit at the recent Auckland Exhibition attracted marked attention from visitors, and gave an opportunity of witnessing the various subjects of education —reading, writing, arithmetic etc. and handicrafts —mat-mak-ing, basket work, chair caning, knitting, piano tuning, etc. Many thousands were sympathetically interested

in noting tlio proficiency of the pupils, j and many orders were received for goods. The Principal's annual re- 1 port shows that eight pupils (two women, three boys, and three girls) were admitted during the year, making a total of fifty-six (six women, twenty-eight boys, and twenty-two girls), while five (one women and four boys) left during the year, making a total on the books at 31st March last of fifty-one. In the technical and industrial departments there are at present thirteen journeyImen and seventeen inmates. Surprising instances of the strides that can be made even by those afflicted in this way are shown in the records of two pupils, Mr D. Algie and Mr D. Outram, two University students, who again distinguished themselves. Mr Algie kept "Third Term" and obtained first-class in history, and second class in English and mathematics. He also secured his B.A. degree, and in addition passed the first section of the' LL.B. degree. Mr Outram kept "First Term" and ob- : tained first class in education and English, and second' class in mental science and Latin. In the trade department the amount of sales totalled £2226 14s sd, which exceeded the record of the previous year by £lßl 9s Id, while the payments to blind workers reached £IOOS 0s 9d, being an increase on the previous year of £227 18s 2d. Readers require no more eloquent testimony to the value of such a department of the Institute as a means of benefitting the blind. The report lays stress upon the fact that the number of blind provided for increased during the year, and in consequence heavy expenditure will have to be undertaken in the near future. Grateful reference is made to the generous bequests of the late Sir John Logan Campbll, and it is stated that in terms of the will the capital is to be invested and the income applied to the general purposes of the Institute. Regarding subscriptions to the Institute, it is noted that in Stratford there are eight members (meaning those who donated one guinea or half a guinea to the funds), and these amounts, together with sundry donations bring the total subscription for' the town'/ up, to £l4 3s 6d. This, though satisfactory compared to the amounts subscribed in other towns, is altogether too small considering the satisfactory financial position of our people and also the immense pos-' sibilities for good that the Institute represents. A melancholy interest attached to this year's report is. an 'obituary notice and a reference to the Empress of Ireland disaster in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Among the victims of this tragedy were Mr, Mrs, and Miss Blopmfield, who were on a visit to Canada and England at the time of the calamity. Mr Bloomfield had been a member for the trustees since July, 1906, and only resigned in view of his projected trip. Mr Bloomfield took a. special interest in the work of the Institute, and had he been spared to reach London he would have represented the Institute at the International Conference on the Blind which was held there last month. In deploring his loss, the report states: "He will be greatly missed, and his name and work will be remembered with appreciation for many years to come by all connected with the Institute." In conclusion, we quote for general information clause 15 of the Institute's Constitution, which relates to membership: "A yearly subscription of not less than 10s 6d shall constitute a member, and a single Subscription of not less than £lO 10s, shall constitute a life member of the Institute. Every person bequeathing to the Institute a sum of £IOO and Upwards may nominate a life member, and, in the event .of,no such nomination being made, the executors of the will shall be entitled to the privilege of life membership."