The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1952-02-22

Editor Of the Peoples Voice:
ON Nov. II, 1851 The Missoula Com
munity Chest ran full page advertise
ment in The Daily Muscular seeking
public contributions for charitable
groups. At the top of the groups was
The American Hearing Society
Tests School children's hearing, teach
lip reading, auditory training, speech
correction and aid in selecting hear
ing aid. This presumably for Missoula
county only -.
Why is this group so listed? Why are
these so-called services listed? Who or
what organization is sponsoring it?
Who is being benefited? These are
pointed questions the local and state
organizations of the deaf and deafened
are trying HARD to have answered.
They are compelled to appeal to you
for suggestions on how they can ex-
pose this racket" without hurting
the other worthy groups.
The American Hearing Society mere
~ processes to duplicate TAX-SUP-
PORTED STATE AGENCIES-wh
it is deliberate or in ignorance since
their headquarters are in Washington,
d. c. Here are few of tax supported
agencies pre-school round-ups Qists
all handicaps):
School district clerk is required by
law to report all deaf and blind child
rem in his district:
State board of health maintains train
ed teams testing ALL Public School
children's hearing and we have one of
the nations finest state schools for
Deaf and Blind at Great Falls.
They teach deaf. blind, hard of hear
ing, near-b blind. They teach lip read
ing, speech correction, auditory train
ing and in cases where student bene-
fits they fit hearing aids and return
such students to normal class in Pub
lie school. Those who learn lip read
ing sufficiently are returned to their
class in public school too.
This is by necessity a residential
school where the students stay nine
months of the school year. like coll
lege, but they are not committed as in
some other institutions. Specially train
ed teachers for their education and
trade training are few and hard to
get. There are twenty blind and near
blind enrolled in one department and |
~ deaf and hard of hearing in the !
other.
out of r. Missoula has only four in |
this school with hearing difficulties |
HOW DOES THIS COMPARE with ANY |
statistics The American Hearing So |
ciety can claim as pupils? If there
are any still struggling in Public
Schools of Missoula, WHY HAVE the /
state School Officials NOT been mott
fled?
on Nov. 18th we PROTESTED to Gov
ernor John Bonner as chairman of the /
state Board of Education, to the Com
nunity Chest Board and to Missoula !,
county Attorney SUGGESTING AN IN L.
SESTIGATION
Governor Bonner expressed concern
He felt it was a legal matter for the
county Attorney. Would we keep him
informed? The Chest Board agreed to :
our points of argument that Ameri- -
IAN Hearing Society was duplicating
state agencies BUT forms were al II
eady printed Gas if printing of forms or :
'ounterfeited money make it '1egal') !
lothing else done. After numerous let !
ers delegate of local deaf and deaf :
med citizens called on the County At
orney and learned he had no more in ,
ormation on this group than they. had. T
lie promised to write the Chest Board :
md to confer with the State School !
lead at Great Falls. That was Jan. :
5th. Later a copy of a letter to
hest Board Directors was received g
rom the County Attorney. p
Since that time NOTHING ELSE HAS t
}EEN HEARD. t
Since we are denied PUBLIC INFOR- y
IATON in our quest to expose what r
We deeply consider a racket" and have /
acked attorney aid we do not feel '
We should hire private attorney since r
his is a public service. No one is be-
ng denied or begrudged their right |
o hear or education. SO our own in s
estigation brought up the fact that c
local club donated to the Public t
chools an auditometer. This adds all h
he more to the skeptical value The "
american Hearing Society-IF THE S
'UBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE AN AUDIO- b
1ETER where does this groups claims t
it in? o
Why were Missoula Taxpayers asked i
0 PAY TWICE FOR THE SAME SER L
ICES? SO far our state wide member n
hip has not reported this Society listed a
n their Community Chest, WHY?
5 the Chest Board trying to supersede s
he State Board of Education? Are a e
ew dissatisfied persons attempting to N