Milford chronicle., 1912-05-03
BLIND COMMISSION
PRESENTS REPORT
Annual Meeting of the Body is Held
and Old Officers are Reelected.

The annual meeting of the Delaware
Commission for the Blind was held last
Friday, and the members present were
George B. Miller, Arthur L. Bailey, Mrs.
George w. Marshall of Milford Mrs.
Lewis Mustard, of Lewes, and c. R.
Van Trump.
The principal topic of discussion was
the financial one and the great problem
of the welfare of the blind, and how to
make the returns from their labor yield
their daily bread, to train the hand un-
aided by the eye to speed up in compe-
tition with their fellow laborer.
The election of officers for the ensuing
year resulted in the reelection of c. R.
Van Trump, chairman, and David Smell
lenburg, secretary and treasurer.
The annual report of the commission
is as follows
The work for the welfare of the blind
during the fiscal year ending March 81,
for the first time in its history has as
sumed adequate industrial proportions,
Though the beginning is still on a mod
est scale, prCNer tools have been installed
in building devoted to the purpose, and
the commercial development of the blind
tried out with encouraging results. The
handicap of blindness does not permit in
dustrial competition on an equal footing
with the sighted. In fact, the industrial
institutes of the blind in most states, with
enormous appropriations amount to little |
less than working almshouses, where |
every dollar paid to the blind in wages I
has cost the public treasury an equal |
amount; it has been the aim of the Della /
ware Commission for the Blind, with
very small appropriation, to make the
blind self-suppOrt the labor and material
to return in sales That is the State sup
plying tuition, and place to work the
commercial returns from the products of y
the shop to cover the cost of wages and
Upon this basis more than
twenty-five hundred dollars has accrued
from the sales of the products of the work
Of the blind and been paid to them in
wagessand material.
As a starter, this is not a small
achievement, for, besides training and
the blind workers capable for
he various handicraft, their goods must
De introduced to the public and their
value demonstrated and patronage re-
luired on a strict value for value basis,
a competition with the best the market /
'tords. 1t is deplorable also considering
he limlted number of occupations open (
y %AN DAAAAh LAdA LAAGoG uduQlCIdILS SHOULD
,e met III competition in prisons and
lanues operating the cheapest labor of
L., sighted; that the folsom and ietsom .
heluenting a soup house should be put
aEompetitiOn Gaming chairs and weav-
IS carpets against the detectives who
from the use of the pick
,ro' shovel or the ak. It is fervently c
heed that the object of this work will {
'yally prevail and misguided charity g
oich pauperizes the blind will change.
v! the right of the blind man be fully
liablished to go forth unto his work.
a At the headquarters sos West Eighth Q
'reer, Wilmington, where ten men find :
loy employment, every available space =
rvecupied and the housing of these in '
77n es will soon be entirely inadequate. o
'enIhe first floor is the exchange, or e
'onSoOm, the library of embossed books b
orrI