The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-04

evidence to their incompetency.
 Confusion in Printing for the Blind.
 An obvious illustration of their in- competency and the absence of coop eration between the schools Is the con- fusion in the prints for the blind. One would think that the advantages of having a common print would not re- quire argument. Yet every effort to decide which print Is best has failed The Perkins Institution for the Blind, with a large printing fund, clings to Line Letter-embossed characters shaped like Roman letters. in spite of the fact that most of the blind prefer a point system. The Pennsylvania In- stitution for the Blind offers its read CTS American Braille, a print in which the letters are composed of raised dots. This is a modification of the sys- tenn which was perfected by Louis Braille three-Quarters of a century ago and Is still the system used through out Europe. The New York 1nstitu- tion invented. controls and advocates New York Point, another species of Braille. The money appropriated by the national government to emboss books fo the blind Is used for all the types. The new periodical. The Matilda Zieg- Ter Magazine for the Blind. the book for which we have waited many years, is printed in American Braille and New York point The same book, ex- pensive to print once, has to be dupll- cated in the various systems for the different institutions Other points are yet to come. They are still in the cruciple of meditation. A plague upon all those prints! Let us have one sys- tenn. whether it is an ideal one, or not For my part. I wish nothing had been invented except European Braille. There was already a considerable H. tn, eft xryha ho can fever for invention plunged us in- to this Babel of prints which is typi- cal of the many confusions from which the blind suffer throughout the United States.
 We Americans spend lIore money on the education of detectives than any other country. But we do not always find the shortest. easiest and most economical way of accomplishing the end we have in view. We desire to bring the greatest happiness to the largest number. We give generously as earnest of our desire. and then We do not see that our bounty Is wisely spent.
 The Work of Two Women.
 Three or four years ago. in New York two cultivated women became inter- ested in the blind. They observed how much pleasure some blind persons de-
 
 and they thought how many hours the sightless must spend without diversion They set to work to establish bu- reau for the distribution to the blind of tickets for the theatre, tho opera and other entertainments. This brought them in to contact with the blind, ana they soon perceived that their efforts to entertain them were but to gild sepulchre. The blind said to them: you are very kind to give us pleasure. But it is work we need, something to do with our hands. It Is terrible to sit idle all day long. Give us that wondrous thing, interest in life. Work welded to interest gives dignity. sweetness and strength even to our kind of life
 The two noble women determined to see what could be done. They went for tion for the Blind. They asked why the blind were unemployed. They re- ceived courteous assurances that ev- erything possible was being done for the blind, that their hard lot was the inevitable result of circumstances. The fact that they were idle was deplored. but there was no help for it. In a world of machinery, specialized indus- try and keen competition the blind man could not expect to find profitable occupation. He must. 1t was urged ever remain a public charge to be treated kindly, and the young women were heartily commended for their ef- forts to supply them with entertain ment. Indeed, it was argued. 1t would be cruel to add to the burden of in- firmity the burden of labor. It would be quite as cruel to expect them to earn their living as to compel a disabled horse to earn his oats. (The same kind of speci 10 u s argument was being disseminated in Massachusetts and other States.) But the ladies were too intelligent and too earnest to be convinced Their visit
 was the beginning of new movement in New York toward the betterment of the sightless.
 An Adequate Census of the Blind. Soon afterward an association was formed. Meetings were held. Men of ability and eloquence spoke in behalf of the work and drove the truth home to the people that the heaviest burden upon the blind is not blindness, but idleness. The institution raised it's head in protest and self-justihcation, and tried to prejudice the blind against the association. It opposed an ade- | quate census of the sightless. The as- sociation appealed to the Legislature | for an appropriation to carry on the | census The Legislature made the ap- propriation and established commits sion. The COmIllsSlOH dppoiHtcu oiic | of the two ladies Director of the Gen. sus, with the result that complete registry of the blind of New York State | will soon be available. This census | will not be like the United States cen | sus figures, which are vague and in- | complete. but will tell how many blind | there are, where each lives, and in what circumstances, what occupation | he has, what trade he has learned in | school, how old he is, how long he has been blind, and from what cause he | lost his sight. The New York census | and the Massachusetts census will tell | with scientific defniteness what has | been left undone, and will enable us 70 | deal more intelligently with the prob | lems of the sightless.
 The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind grew out of a volunteer or ganization which carried on investiga- tions and experiments. At the experi- ment station few blind persons
 learned to weave rugs. fabrics suit able for curtains, table-covers and so- ia pillows and other things useful
 and beautiful At this station indus tries and processes were tested with view to increase the number of lucra- tive occupations in which the blind, especially women, might engage. Ar
 ter 1t had demonstrated to the State
 that they are capable of higher eff-
 ciency than they have generally reach ed. the association asked the Legtsla-
 ture for an appropriation to extend the work The appropriation was granted, and a commission was ap-