Sir Arthur Pearson Memorial

Hokitika Guardian, 4 August 1922, Page 4

Sir Arthur Pearson Memorial

At a recent meeting of the New Zcola d Committee of the Sir Arthur Pearson Memorial Fund to aid the civilian tiling people of the Dominion, the Chairman, Mr Clutha MncKenzie M.P., announced the present state of the Fund in a number of centres.

Christchurch £SOOO Wellington £2OOO Dunedin £ISOO mvercargill £1,150 Timoru £9OO Napier £7OO Gore £BOO Whangarei £t>o ° Nelson £SOO As n burton £516 Oamaru £383 Temuka £3^° Greymonth ••• £350 Waimate £350 Hokitika C3OO Marlborough £3^ Rotorua £-" Geinldinc £206 Hastings £145 Thames £137 Qltanc £l2o^ Marton £lO5 Lein £lO4

These are not the complete returns ns in most cases active collecting for the Fund is still in progress and in j a nil me i' of cases only just started. . The total amount in hand throughout ! the whole Dominion is approximately ! £18.900. hut this figure is rising daily 1 a rapid pace. Numerous country settlements have subscribed tlieir quota ' or are busily doing so, and details of these will he published later. In many North Island centres arrangements are in hard for entering upon campaigns. 1 Everywhere, the Chairman said, the appeal had met with the most ready and willing response. The practical nature of the proposals, the immense need of the work, the direct result of it would bring in added human happiness and ibn economic value to the State, and always the wonderful example in the blinded soldiers of tbe useful citizens which training and supervision could make of blind men, made a direct appeal to the people which was irresistible. Hs wished to express the deepest gratitude of the Committee and himself for the magnificent work of numlierless good people in every' walk of life and for the generous contributions of many who could ill afford to give. Numbers of people ill straightened circumstances, realising that to live a life of perpetual darkness in misery, poverty' and enforced idleness, imprisoned bv blindness, cut off from the beauties of the world, from literature, from independence and from the iov of the home and domestic life, of the community', frequently becoming leading citizens in local public affairs. What the blind can do, they do whole, heartcdly. What they want is a start in life that is the business of the Real-son Memorial Fund.