The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-14
A SCHOOL FOR TIE BLIND.

|
The sixth annual report of the officers and
trustees Of the "Lousiana Institution TO,
Education OF the Blind and the Industrial
Home for the Blind" has been published.
| Vice President Goodale. In behalf Of the board
of trustees. directs attention to the fact tina,
the Institution ia at present without suit
able and permanent home. being domiciled
In an old hotel building at Baton Rouge
| which ss held only on d monthlv tenure. with
the certainty Of having to abandon the same
| whenever the General Assembly shall remove
to that place. In view Of these facts an an
preparation Of $4,000 is recommended tt
provide suitable buildings, which. 1t Ie
stated. can be had within the corporate
limits Of Baton Rouge, along with twelve
acres of land, payable In three annual install.
ments. A similar Recommendation waa made
In 1878 and received favorable report from
the Senate Sub Committee on Charitable In.
stitutions. The trustees also euggest the
propriety of amendments TO the charter In
several essentials. come few Of which are
mentioned The first of theee eontempates
a change OF the name of the institution from
its present cumbersome title to the "Louisi-
ana School for the Blind" II Is argued
that IN consequence Of the length the pres
ent name Of the institution is frequently
called the Blind Asylum for the sake of
brevity. which designation is attended with
mischIevous results. as II Is calculated to
| mslead the parents Of the blind and citizens
generally. Another change In the charter sue-
gested. is the establishment Of permanent
board of control. composed Of the best men
Ia the State whose term Of office should be
for HE. or for a fixed term Of years. SO dis
tributed that not more than one-thlrd of the
members shall Withdraw In any one year.
The immediate effect of this, In the opinion Of
the trustees. would be to place the institution
beyond the possibility Of Interference from
political causes, and give stability to and In
apre confidence In Its measures. AS to the
amount required for the annual support OF
the institution. Ahe trustees recommend All
appropriation of $4,000 that being the sum
required during the past year. and which
amount, 1t is thought, cannot be reduced
without intlieting great Injury upon an ineti-
tuition which ls just beginning to realize
something like normal growth. The trus-
tees think that All amendment to the
State law relative to public eduea-
ton, requiring the parish assessors
when preparing their lists for the State SUI
perntendent to make mention by name of all
deaf mutes aud blind persons In each parish,
would be of great service In bringing them
under the influences established by the State
for their elevation. The report OF Hon. z.
Lane, the principal Of the institution, an
nounces that there has been increase OF abil-
ity to study, keener insight developed, a
tirmer mental grasp gained. and real knoul-
edge acquired and although the results
reached "are not sufficient to meet the de-
mands Of earnest desire, stlll there has been
clear, direct and definite movement toward
the true and the high" He notes as marked
aud unfortunate popularity OF the institution
that most OF Its pupils are adults. The intro
duotlon Of adults into the school room ia un-
desirable, because Improbable to them. and
a waste of time and labor to all concerned
Such pupils are taught broommaking aud
mattress. making, and several Of them receive
instruction In music. The younger pupils
only are received into the school room, and
In the main they have studied well and have
made ereditable progress. Instruction In
music has proceeded regularly and apprecla-
BILE advancement has been made. The end
toward which effort In this department is d.
reeted Is to make the learners trained muei-
cians. not mere tune players. Broom making
is the only mechanical Industry that has been
steadily prosecuted, the receipts from the sales
Of which during the year amounted to $1022 So.
Since the nominal organization OF the insti-
tuition about eight years have elapsed: during
five Of these years no educational interest In
Louisiana did or could thrive, but since the
date OF It's effective organization, In April
1877, the institution for the blind has steadily
advanced. The number of pupils In attend-
ance during the term which closed In July
last was twenty-nine. The number enrolled
for the current term is twenty-six. or these
two are from Vernon parish, two from Qua
chita, two from Tangipahoa, one from Lin
coin. one from East Baton Rouge, one from
Red River, and the remainder from Orleans
The causes OF blindness, so fat as known are
given "a folows: Opthalmla, born blind, me-
chanical injury, amaurosis, brain fever
measles. The total expenditures for the
entire year 1879 and for part OF the year
1878 were $9os5 Is. leaving a balance of
$5DS 60 on hand at date Of treasurer's report.
January Is. 1880.
The county OF Allegheny has been very
f,,1 II, jfu