HELPING THE BLIND.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1922, Page 6

HELPING THE BLIND.

THE PEARSON FUND. ■" INGLEWOOD COUNTY GIVES £lOO. In making an appeal to the Inglewood County Council for a contribution to the Sir Arthur Pearson Memorial Fund to aid the civilian blind of the Dominion. Mr. Clutha Mackenzie (chairman of the fund) said Cabinet had agreed to legalise the giving of contributions by local bodies. This procedure became necessary as many local bodies desired to make large contributions to the fund. It was stated that everywhere the appeal had met with a ready response, and about £20.000 had already been contributed towards the objective of £45.000. The purpose of the fund was stated to be for extending the present inadequate work of the Jubilee Institute for the blind at Auckland. The fund was to be administered by the trustees of the institute, four of whom are Government nominees and five elected by contributors to the fund. The Pearson fund is to he a permanent endowment. continued the appeal, the revenue from which is to be particularly used in the genera] establishment and guardianship of the blind in their homes throughout the Dominion. There are between 500 and 600 blind people in New Zealand, and they arc more neglected than the blind in any other civilised community. The 23 blinded soldiers have been trained and established in life under the personal care of Sir Arthur Pearson, and there are no more valuable’ citizens to-day, busily occupied, with good homes and growing families. It is they who are largely initiating this appeal in order that the same opportunity may be open to their blind civilian compatriots. At the meeting of the Inglewood County Council yesterday the chairman (Mr. A. Corkill) said the cause was a deserving one, and the blind had to be cared for bv someone. He moved that the council donate £lOO to the fund. The motion was carried unanimously.