BLIND BEGGARS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1947, 2 January 1914, Page 7

BLIND BEGGARS.

INFLUX TO SYDNEY. alleged heavy takings. A letter, was recently received by tho Sydney "Herald" pointing out the number of blind beggars to bo seen in Sydney, and complaining tiiat . steps ought to be taken by tho authorities to look after theso and help them to support themselves without being driven to tho humiliation of seeking charity in tho streets. As this is a very common impression, the "Herald", collected from tho authorities somo of tho facts with regard to the 'blind beggars of Sydney.

it is impossible, says our contemporary, for tho authorities to givo any accurate estimate of the takings of tho regular blind beggars of Sydney, because U'h<;ii inquiries uro mailo Of them tho answers returned aro very cautious. But enough is Renown to mako it certain that in tho great majority of cases the blind beggar .takes that occupation from choice, not because useful occupations are not freely offered to him by the existing authorities, • but because begging is far more lucrative. It is the.fact that begging is so profitable and so easy which constitutes the great difficulty for all the authorities who aro trying to' help tho blind to do useful and self-respecting work.

Substantial incomes.' It is known to tho authorities that the number of blind beggars in Sydney has lately been increased by an influx from Melbourne. It is stated that at least five blind beggars who aro now on tho Sydney streets havo recoritl.v come over from Melbourne. It is said that certain steps taken by tho Lord Mayor of Melbourne to diminish tho number of beggars in tho city has produced this result. Sydney offers a good field for the professional beggar, and the numbers hero aro increasing; , Of the takings of Sydney'beggars only a few evidences aro known to tlio authorities. One 'ofiicinl lately ' watched the takings of a certain "blind beggar for a quarter of an hour. . In that time ho had received "22 donations, two of which were In another case, a man, who had been in the Industrial Blind Institution, but had left it, was arrested some timo later, and a deposit receipt for £1100-was found on hiijrr>. A girl who was lately being trained in the Industrial Blind Institution was taken from that institution when she reached tho age of IG—tho ago,at which she became entitled to the Commonwealth pension. ' She' afterwards took to singing in tho streets. In a subsequent court case it wad stated that tho takings made by herself and a friend averaged about £1 ah^liour.

The Row of Cottages.. In a case of a blind beggar in, Sydney whose cash-box was said, to liavo boon stolen, it was claimed that it contained 225. 6d. as the result of a few hours' work. Theso facta agree with tlio known facts as to tho, earnings of certain of the blind beggars in Great Britain. There is a blind beggar on one of the London railway stations who has admitted to berna; the owner of a couple of houses; and a Staffordshire beggar who is known to own a row of cottages. It-is not true that blind men or women, are driven. to beg in tho streets because no one cares for them. Thero is open to every blind beggar in the State the option of earning a livelihood at tho - Of cturse, gtiei ; axicas Tiaio'' urged against this institute.'- A blind citizen who tegs on tlie streets must have some explanation,- and-the explanation is naturally a grievance. But the following are the actual openings available to every blind citizen.-

Tha Minimum \Vag&. A boy or girl, an old man or old .voman—any blind worker —can como to tlio institution■ and receive a wage. It does not matter whether thoy know a trade or not, or whether they prove clever workers or clumsy workers—the institution offers to teach them ft trade and pay them for learning.it. "We a boy of 16 16s. a week to start with, and clothes if necessary ; and the Commonwealth pension makes this Up to £1," said the manager, Mr. Hedger, yesterday. /'A girl of 16 gets 12s. Gd., which, with the Commonwealth pension, makes £1 a week, to start learning her trade, and also free training in singing and playing tlie piano." , As-the blind workers get more competent they pay. They afe employed at preco work fates, subject to the award of the Wicker Workers' and Bmshmakcrr,' "Wages Boards, with an addition of 25' per cent, added to these rates. The greatest amount cv?r .earned by blind workers was earned by two men, who each received £3 93.. including the bonus. This was, of course, an exceptional Amount.

The four hundredth anniversary of the groat Protestant Reformation will occur in" 1917, and already arrangements are being made for its fitting Celebration. .Especially in Germany is the interest widespread and intense. Here, where Martin Luther Was raised up in tho good providence of Clod to arouse the people to a savin?: knowledge of Jnsus Christ and to roll back the night of ' ignorance, the Reformation had its', real birth. Speedily associated w.ith Luther were such' great leaders in othor countries as John Calvin, Ulric Zwingle, and John Knox, and some of them surpassed liim in intellectual ability and in 'certain qualities of ; leadership, but he was the ono who attracted tho attention of the workl in a marvellous wav ft? the inception of the movement, and lie had the strong following in his own land aiid nation that gave tremendous power to his woi'K. Another anniversary is the five hundredth anniversary of the martyrdom of John Huss. A great 'memorial building is to be erected as : a'. Spiritual ccntro for the Protestants of' Bohemia, the land in which'he proclaimed the ovnngcl and where.ho was'burned for the crime of loving and prcncliim; - Jesus Christ. ■ These anniversaries should be made, pi-eat educational occasions in which the groat foundation truths of-our liolv faith shall be explained and made knofrn to all the world.—"Outlook." Tlie audience at Melbourne Her Majesty's havo been amazed by tho remarkable acrobatic feats of tho romedian. Barry Ltipino, which characterise .his performance right through "'Jim Fotty_ Thieves." And a striking feature of it all is the ease and nonchalance with which he accomplishes things that make oven the Veterans in the front stalls gasp. with astonishment. He makes his first entranco through a trap, aiid shoots six feet into the ,air, and in another scene he comes oil bv stepping down on to the stage from the top of n staircase nine feet high! All through the pantomime Lupino enters or disappears through trapr. at the most Unexpected times _ am: places, aiid literally keeps the audience in a perpetual state of wonderment as to what he is to do next. Sometimes ho sinks 'on the stage bftneath his cloak, and when this is lifted. it is found that ho lias gone. _ Lupino is truly a comodian of surprises. "What's tiro gloaming Uncle Tom ?" ''Well, beforo a 'man. is married, it Is the time to take a walk with tho girl lie loves; but after he is married it is'the timo 'ho falls over rockiag-horsos ami building blocks ofi the parlolir floor." Franco has '450,000 wine-shops. This is c.n average of o'ns for every 33 fromi men.