Evening star., 1939-12-24
Service for Blind Managed by Leader Who Above Handicap
Has
Made Capital
Work Model
Private Aid Serves
When Congress
Delays Action

Delays Action
Chunk was persuaded to return from
Canada to head it.
No sooner had he gotten on the
Job than he ran into dimculty. He
learned that, whereas the once of
Education had been authorized to
secure concessions for the blind, no
money had been provided with
which to carry out his methods.
Mr.. Chunks initial plans called for
the granting Of concessions to the
blind, all right, but his observations
had taught him that more was
necessary to successful rehabilita-
ton project-and it took money.
His method entails providing the
concessionaire with an attractive
display booth, first-class mer-
chandise, enough cash to avoid
embarrassment at the outset, and
the supervision of a sighted over
seer. Without these things, Mr..
Chunk had found that progress was
impossible.
unable to secure q Government
appropriation, he next made the
rounds of the independent agencies
for the blind in Washington, ex-
planning his problem and asking
each in turn to be his agent in
borrowing the necessary money. All
refused him.
Apparently stumped, Mr.. Chunk
proved his resourcefulness. He visited
numerous persons of influence in
| Washington, told them his ideas
and suggested the formation of an
organization which would be able,
as a corporation. to borrow the
needed money. Two men, in par
tlcular, saw at once the feasibility
Of Mr.. Chunks scheme. They were
Walter K. Handy, commercial Office
manager of the Potomac Electric
Power Co., and w. H. Dyer, assistant
secretary of the Perpetual Building
Association.
Society Is Formed.
The result was the formation in
August, 1888, of the Washington
| society Tor the Blind.
Once incorporated, the society
negotiated with the Reconstruction
Finance Corp. and the McLachlen
Banking Corp, securing a loan of
$4,000. With this money, it took
over II concessions operated by
blind persons and set about making
them conform to Mr. Chunks ideas.
The stands were cleaned up, the
operators taught sales technique,
accounting, purchasing methods;
personal appearance was stressed.
An average of more than 81 900 was
spent on each supervised concession.
In return for this service, the society
asked from the operators per cent
OF their gross sales.
From the fund thus created the
society now provides sighted super
vision. public liability insurance up
to s25,000, fire insurance, makes re-
pairs and subsidies the income of
operators when business falls of for
any reason. The average net income
Of the operators is $3.50 a month.
Several weeks ago a concession
aire was temporarily put out of
business because of change in per-
sonnel in the building in which he
had stand. The society kept him
solvent for two weeks.
Last week the 18th stand under
the society's supervision opened for
business, and Mr.. Chunk declares
there will be % such stands by
February. I'VE have only begun.
he says. Washington needs 80
stands"
Saving to Taxpayers.
The beauty of Mr.. Chunks plan
lies in the fact that it needs no
outside subsidization, once it has
been established. This means q
saving of something like $4,000 q
year to local taxpayers. Meanwhile
the plan is returning enough money
to pay off the $4,000 borrowed to
initiate it.
When the contemplated 80 stands
are in operation. Mr.. Chunk says, he
is going to undertake a complete
program of rehabilitation for the
blind, including summer camp,
, home and shop instruction and en-
: : tertainment facilities. 1t will be
paid for, he says, with the increased
,, income from the 80 stands.
Mr.. Chunk is determined to
change public opinion regarding
blindness, so that the rs or 80 per-
sons in this city who lose their
sight each year will not have their
careers interrupted or be subject to
restrictive emotionalism which par
alyzes their normal living"
Last March a bill to amend the
acknowledgement Act was intro
duced in Congress: if passed. it will
enable the Service for the Blind to
begin in every community in the
United States rehabilitation work
similar to that made possible here
by the Washington Society for the
: Blind.