The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-09
A Little Money Would Enable the In
dustriaI Home for Blind Men
to Expand.
WANT PRESENT LAW MODIFIED
SALARIES OF JUSTICES OF THE
PEACE NOT EQUITABLE.
New Reformatory Superintendent
Calls on the Governor-Secretary
of Stnte-Elect I'm Town.


provision to care for blind men over twen-
ty-one years of age. The Blind Institute in
this city is open only to boys or girls and
when they become of age they are turned
out to care for themselves or to become de-
pendent on relatives and friends. From
1s47 until 1895 the State appropriated at
each session of the Legislature sum for
the Blind Institute to be used in caring for
blind men. The practice was discontinued
in 1895 because, it is stated. the Institute
was primarily for boys and girls in the
formative stage of life and it was not just
to them to associate them with the men of
mature and fixed habits.
This winter the Legislature may be asked
to renew it's appropriation for the benefit
of blind men. The appropriation nay go
nominally to the Blind Institute. but II viii
be used through the Indiana Industrial
Home for Blind Men. an institution now
maintained by gifts from private individ-
uals and controlled as a private corpora
ton.
The Home for Blind Men is situated at
TAG West Twenty-eighth street. in North
indianapolis. The officers are DR.. Soils
Runnels, president; r. w. Prentice, vice
president: w. NJ. Jilson, treasurer; c. b.
attorney These officers. with Rabbi NJ.
Messing Louis G. Akin. Henry Kothe. Will
liam l.. Baker and Raphael Kirschbaum,
constitute the board of managers. c. f.
McGiffin, who is blind man, and who was
for four years assistant superintendent OF
the Blind Institute, is the manager and SUI
perintendent
The home. which is now three years old,
owns a large lot and two-story building,
3Ox6O. and gives employment at present TO
sixteen blind men in the manufacture of
brushes, brooms and cane chairs, paying
them fair wages. During the past year the
Home was almost self-supporting, paying
out over 5000 in wages and coming out at
the end of the year with a deficit of only
$92. The capacity of the institution is
limited and more men cannot be employed
at present. It is estimated that there are
Indiana who would like to secure employ
ment in the home If they could be pro-
Elusu LOT anu ,,, ~ - ~ tt h vu -, e
an appropriation this winter.
ASSISTANCE FROM STATE.
1t is argued that the State ought to make
some provision for unfortunate blind men,
and that il could do so in no better way
than by giving such assistance to the In
dustrial Home that the management of the
institution can enlarge ii to a point where
IL will be able to employ all the blind men
in the State who are in need of such assist
ance. 1t Is not proposed to make the home
a State institution. The men who started
IL and who are still working for ii will not
entertain proposition of that kind. They
say that they can do better work as a pri-
vate institution, and that there is no rea-
son for a change. They purpose TO go
ahead and enlarge the home from time to
that in the course of few years they will
have an institution large enough to give
employment to at least one hundred men.
would
ciate any assistance that the State might
give them. and that comparatively small
appropriation would be the means of doing
great deal OF good, as IL would enable
them to enlarge the institution at once TO
an extent such they would not other
wise attain in years.
The board of managers held their annual
meeting yesterday afternoon at the Deni-
son and discussed the future of the home.
Senator F. K. Matson, of this city, was
present at the meeting.
The board OF managers will not go before
the Legislature asking assistance, but they
will let the situation be known TO the men,
work that they are doing Is recognized in
substantial way by the State.
DR.. Runnels, in speaking of the home.
accomplishing great deal of good in max
| ing sixteen blind men self-supporting but
our field is much larger than our means
in Indiana who should have some support
from the State, or from some institution
| that will make them in measure inde-
| pendent. These men have no trade. can
| get employment and are compelled to
| beg or go to the poorhouse. We can teach
| them a trade and give them work bring
| ing good wages, but we can provide for
| only a small number. If the State will give
us assistance in the work we shall greatly
appreciate IL, and we can use any amount
| of money to a great advantage.
1.-The home will not require assistance
| every year. 1t is so nearly self-supporting
| on its present scale that we can care for 1t
nicely, but We cannot enlarge ii except by
very slow stages. Any money received from
| the State would be used solely in extend
| ing the institution, not In maintaining it,
| Our expenses are comparatively light, as
| the manager is the only salaried man con-
| nected with the home"