FAR AHEAD OF ANY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20425, 2 October 1934, Page 4

FAR AHEAD OF ANY.

Legislation for Blind in Dominion. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, October 1. Many war-blinded men and their wives and a large gathering of the public attended a civic reception to Sir lan Fraser, M.P., the blind chairman of St Dunstan s. London, Lady Fraser and their daughter, who had arrived on Sunday from Vancouver on a month’s visit to New Zealand. Mr Clutha Mackenzie, speaking as New Zealand representative of St Dunstan’s, said that he was glad to welcome a very old and warm friend. After the Great War, Sir Arthur Pearson had asked him to take a share in keeping St Dunstan’s men together in New Zealand. This had presented no difficulty and the splendid efforts of the Commercial Travellers and Ware housemen’s Associations had invaluable in aiding men to re-establish themselves. Sir lan Fraser had faced 1 a difficult task in carrying on Sir Arthur Pearson’s work, but he had held together 2508 men in every part of the Empire. Sir lan, in reply, said he had looked forward very keenly to meeting again his blind friends in Australia and New Zealand. The St Dunstan's spirit was an influence in fostering Empire unity among those whose lives it aided. On his journey through Canada and in the short time he had been in New Zealand lie had found that the little community of blinded Empire soldiers was an ep'tome of the unity of the people of the Empire as a whole. Sir lan said that he was proud to think that in both Canada and New Zealand young St Dun stall’s men had taken the lead in promoting the welfare of the blind. He had watched legislation affecting the blind in most countries and lie could say that in this respect New Zealand was far ahead of any. He had already found at .the Institute one or two methods and occupations that had not been introduced in Britain and he had obtained seme new ideas from Mi Mackenzie.