Evening journal., 1915-01-29


lar letter entitled. "The Individual /
Progress Of the Blind"
THE workers in behalf of the blind I
beg TO present to their friends and
generous advocates the industrial de- .
velopment of this work during the 7.
calendar year 1914 No one interested I
in the welfare of the blind in Della I
ware can but feel gratified at this J
progress and deeply touched by the
great measure of support and patron I.
age which has been given to this good /
cause The Blind Shop which was
established as an industrial and hui
manitarian venture in a plant pur-
chased by private contribution has
made good II has housed and han
died the products and industries of
score of ambitions men working
under the handicap of blindness
many Of whom are completely self
supporting; it has given employment
and sold the products of many wOm-
on. IL has formed the nucleus for the
amelioration of the blind throughout
the state. and become a bureau of
Information and expert advice for
any one losing their sight, and been
tho means of restoring them at once
10 condition TO meet their now mode
of life. II has been the headquarters
for the home teaching OF the blind by
which the field officer Of the Com
mission visits the blind in their
homes and gives instruction I'm the
handicraft open to their condition
and in reading with the fingers,
searching out the blind child and
helping procure his just right and
absolute necessity. an education. II
has operated a considerable business.
given great benefits upon very small
Appropriation of public funds, by eX-
plotting sales of products. thus plac-
ing the blind on an economic rather
than "A charitable basis. 1t being the
greatest satisfaction Of the self-res-
pccting blind man that his labor pays
value for value.
"This venture has been conclu-
sively demonstrated, but the quarters
OF the plant are already crowded, and
IL is hoped that additional facilities
may suun be provided 10 meet tho
increasing needs Of this work. This
work i'm Delaware is unique in the
fact that IL Is a business proposition.
the products of the blind sold on their
merits produce the costs of the ma
torial and labor consumed in their
manufacture. In other states where
the Industrial institutions of the
blind have heavy endowment and
enormous state appropriations the
problem is simplified. The blind In
Delaware are asking only for tools
anC place to work, and that fur
ther consideration on account of their
limited field Of activity If they can
make an article which is value for
value competitive with the market
tley should have the chance TO ply
their hands and earn a self respecting
living and become support instead
of burden upon society
"'rhC fiscal year ends i'm April at
v = time the regular annual report
is ued but the following figures
tukln from the quarterly reports are
given for the calendar year 1914
"Thc total receipts from sales were
Si7S0.4S of which S42lS96 was paid
10 the blind for labor, and all the
departments showed a gain in re-
ceipts over the cost Of material and
| labor used i'm manufacture cN-
cept the broom department, an'l
! ni this department steady i'm
prOvement is noted and with improved
machinery and gradual improvement
! in labor and strict economy it is OK
! pected all will be on strictly self
supporting basis. The weaving de-
pSrtment made 1895 small rugs, l43
large whole floor rugs, and 500 yards
of carpet. and gave employment to
three men most of the time. Tho
chair Gaming department reseated
1923 chairs and gave employment to
seven men. The basket department
turned out 41O baskets and repaired
POP and gave employment to two
men. The broom shop made 1858
dozen broOms and gave employment
10 from five to seven men. Two piano
| tuners were kept fairly busy. Three
statesmen vend brooms and other pro-
ducts of the blind on the streets of
/ Wilmington, and two in other towns
| in the state. Seven women we're Civ
/ en- more or less work at their homes.
| The Home Teacher made visits
| throughout the state and started sew
eral new pupils upon the way of
! Gaming something toward a liveli-
! hood. One man who is lately from
! the hospital with the sight of his
remaining eye obliterated has been
put inside of month ON an earning
I basis and his mental condition streng-
/ thened to meet with courage the
problems OF his altered condition in
/ life and the support of himself and
| threo children. II formerly took
great expense and years of cropping
/ before such succor came TO the
newly afflicted. sometimes after des-
pair and depondency had effected
] their deadly work and reclamation
was impossible. The figures given
above are by no means all the earn
ings OF the blind. Many of them are
plying occupation supported and en-
couraged by your Commission, whose
business does not cQne directly
! through the Commission. The circu
| lation of embossed books TO be reaC
, with the fingers was 600 volumes t'
! from - to 20 readers. The living
apartments have been literally pat
! ronized by from 10 TO ~ blind mer
OF the state who have no other home.
convenient to their work. The culin
. AIRY department is operated on {
strictly cooperative basis at So pc
, week and does not appear on thi
books of the Commission.
"Thc workers for the blind max
: deadly war on mendicancy. Tn
Z blind beggar is considered by th
Z self respecting blind man as a per
sonal reproach and lowers in tn
z eyes of all society the condition .
Z blindness. And when IL is considere
that by smothering his manhood an
Z putting his self respect aside, a ma