East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1920-05-18


lroof with blind adults OF both sexes
Ifs radically wrong, morally. eddea-
Itionally and socially. The admission
lof adults to schools for blind children
lhas long since been abolished in most
lstates. Oregon included. Employ
Iment institutions and workshops for
the adult blind have been established
in many of the eastern and central
states during the last twenty five
years and they are in a large mas
ure successful. The adult blind are
taken off the streets and do not have
to wait any more TO hear the coppers
Jingle in their tin cups. They RESPECT
themselves and are respected by 9TH
ers because they are earning their
way.
At the special session of the state
legislature last winter a law was EN-
acted making it incumbent upon the
State Industrial Accident Commission
to see to it that all men in this state
who lose their sight through industrial
accidents, shall be taught to read and
write the Braille system, typewrite
and learn trade that will make
them self-supporting or at least part
ly SO. Now, 1t is entirely wrong to
put these grown-ups in with cur blind
children at the state school at Salem.
Adults do not care to be placed in the
same classes with children. The in
dustrial work cannot be successfully
carried on where children are trying
to work with the middle aged. Dis
cipline cannot be satisfactorily MAIN
tanned. The same set of rules VIII not
work for both old and young. We
cannot have two sets of teachers and
classroorns. one for children and one
for grownups. IL has been proved
many times that a proper moral
standard among the blind inmates is
next to impossible where both sexes
and all ages are put in together.
A state Industrial institution for
the adult blind located at Portland
would render it impossible to make the
blind childrens school at Salem
place to care for these grownpps rem
dered sightless through industrial ac-
cidents. It is not meant that these
victims OF accidents and the other
adult blind of the state should be de-
MED a places but that theeplaee for
them Is the proposed state workshop
for the blind for which voters OF Ore
gon should roll up big majority next
Friday by voting for the passage of
the. measure entitled, .Blind School
Tax Measure. ."-316 Yes.
Help the blind. Vote small tax,
but don't drop nickels into a tin cup
on the street corner. A quarter thus
spent would do your bit toward giving
all the adult blind of Oregon an en-
ployment institution in which to WORK
| for living. Do not encourage beggars.
| Put them In way to earn. As rule
the adult blind want to work. Few
Of them care to spend their lives at
home in a rocking chair. They do
not want to be idle and depend on
charity any more than you would If
YOUR sight should fail you. The is
| mill tax and the 1-25 mill tax mean
that twenty and two-third cents would
be the tax on every $1,000 valuation
lfor the year 1921, and only four cents
ION every $1,000 valuation for main
ltenanee each year thereafter.
When SO little money will do SO
Innnch good. in the name of humanity
lean you refuse your support of a mea-
lsure that gives to the man or woman
4 Handicapped by the loss of sight, tbs
opportunity that is the undoubtet
fright of every citizen of this greai
state-the chance to make good--th'
fright TO his measure OF happiness
LEFT in idleness. he can never be use
lfuI. he can never be happy. Ib Il
Imere chance that makes the othel
Imam blind while you and / see. lie
lus give him an opportunity to succeed
in his chosen line, be IL carpet -weav
! ling, chair Gaming or piano tuning, b.
lit saIesmanship, hammock making o
broom making. The adult blind ar
ldoing these things successfully Il
lother states They can do them her
siif We viii open the way.
" j. w. HOWARD.
5 superintendent Oregon State Schoo
for the Blind.