Library Collections: Document: Full Text

Report of the Trustees of the Building Fund of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union for the Year Ending April, 1904.

Receipts.

Payments.

Assets.

Liabilities.

Respectfully submitted,
HENRY H. SPRAGUE,
Treasurer of Trustees of Building Fund, W.E. & I.U.

Report of the Committee on Ethics.
FOR THE YEAR ENDING APRIL, 1904.

Mrs. M. R. Hodder, Chairman.
Miss A. A. Manning, Associate Chairman.
Miss Melissa Chamberlin.
Mrs. C. C. Parsons.
Miss Mary F. Eastman.
Miss Lucia M. Peabody.
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe.
Mrs. A. P. Spaulding.
Mrs. Anna C. Lee.
Mrs. E. M. Stearns.
Miss Anne Whitney.

Before disbanding last spring, the Committee on Ethics voted to continue its work for the adult blind along whatever lines the Association might assign to it, but to take no initiative while the State Commission was at work on the problem.

It was a great relief when the work was taken up and carried forward by the able and public-spirited men and women who form the officers and directors of the Massachusetts Association for Promoting the Interests of the Adult Blind.

Their unanimous endorsement of Mr. C. F. F. Campbell's remarkable lecture, "Seeing by Touch," and their decision to send him over the State in a "Campaign of Education," pleased the Committee, and the high character of the Commission chosen by Governor, encouraged the hope for new light on methods of help for the blind.

The Committee is grateful to the Union in that she has not forgotten her child, but, when occasion has offered has welcomed it and its friends to the hospitality of Perkins 'Hall. One of these occasions occurred on September 4, when a reception given to Dr. F. J. Campbell, of the Royal Normal College, England, who has done so much for the blind of two continents. About seventy-five people were present, and were inspired with new courage by Dr. Campbell's optimistic views and energetic personality.

Another occasion was the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Blind, held on January 5, when earnest speeches were made by the President, Vice-President, Secretary and several directors of the Association. Helen Keller's address, and her announcement that she will soon be ready to devote herself to the cause of self-support for the blind, was received with exceptional enthusiasm and approval.

Mr. Edwin D. Mead spoke of Miss Keller's address as an epoch-making speech, and we who listened felt that we might date from it a happier era for the blind.

The branch of work assigned to our Committee by the Association is that of visiting the homes of such of the sightless as we know, and giving them the encouragement of friendly calls and reading.

For this purpose the Committee has collected entertaining and instructive reading, and placed it in the room of the Association, where it may be carried to the homes of our sightless friends.

From the Visiting Committee of the Association went forth the appeal to the women's clubs throughout the State, asking them to make friendly calls upon the blind of their localities, and find what was needed to help them toward self-support or solace. We hope much from these letters, and the social service aroused.

One of our number has undertaken this work for the blind of Brookline. Of the nineteen sightless men and women, eleven were found who need friendly visiting. Some of the men wished to learn chair-caning, and a State teacher was called to their aid. One man has learned to do the work so well already, that he now finds employment in his own locality.

A successful sale of work done by the adult blind was recently held in Brookline. This Committee still solicits cast-off underwear, hose and bed covers as "filling" for the iron holders, the sale of which supplies a large part of the living expenses of one blind woman. The newspapers continue their help by publishing the material sent from this Committee concerning the cause.

One subject lies close to the heart of this Committee. We all know how hard it is for any middle-aged, seeing women to find remunerative employment. How much harder is it then for our blind sisters! Some of the latter are making supreme exertions toward self-support by under-paid needlework; some have not learned to do anything in the darkened world which they have lately entered. Many are very lonely; each would do some part of the work in a well-organized co-operative dwelling place. None of the homes for aged people art organized to admit the blind.

When the time is ripe for the establishment of a haven for homeless blind women, we believe that the members of this Union, and of other organizations in the State, will heartily co-operate with the Association in this beneficent work. We have letters from the matrons of the Homes for Blind Women in New York, Philadelphia, Mt. Healthy, O., Chicago and St. Louis, and from each comes only praise of the cheerful, industrious women, who, relieved from the dread of helpless dependence, do all in their power to make their community life self-supporting. The blind women of Massachusetts have been encouraged by the work already done in the State. Some of them have turned their hopes toward an Industrial Home where they can earn enough to free them from painful dependence; one cries to us from Connecticut, where she cannot stay much longer, "Will Massachusetts let me sink back into the Almshouse and despair when I have to leave this pleasant home?" Others write, "O work for us, who would so gladly work for ourselves!"

About the time that the Committee on Ethics began its work for the blind of Boston, and the Hon. Elihu B. Hayes and committee of women were beginning their efforts which have resulted in a reading room for the blind in Lynn, the Misses Trader of Cincinnati, O., bethought them of the blind of their city and suburban towns, and persuaded the Public Library to purchase books, and set aside a room for their use. Like ourselves they found few readers or listeners among the class whom they sought to help, until they made direct personal efforts. Then they found, as we did, that few could read, and fewer still could pay car fares and guides to take them to the library.

Next they called upon the officers of all the tramways entering their city, and were given a free pass for every blind person who was able to visit the library. Since then the reading of the books has greatly increased. In their calls upon the blind in their homes, the sisters found able-bodied men pining for work. These were sent to Columbus to the school for the blind, which has a trade department where the older pupils are trained, and where adults may go for instruction at the expense of the State.

Then the Misses Trader were confronted with the problem of self-support for blind women. They had seen them lonely and neglected in homes of dependence, and they went to the wealthy people of Cincinnati and told the story. Aid was given at once. "Clovernook," the old home of Alice and Phoebe Cary was purchased, and its doors opened to homeless blind women. Miss Trader writes us that there never was a happier or more industrious family gathered together for mutual aid, than the blind women at "Clovernook."

We, too, have had a notable literary woman whose home should be preserved by women, and for women. It has been empty for years, and is for sale now. Could the "Old Orchard" home of Louisa May Alcott, where she wrought so faithfully for her family, ever serve a better purpose than to give a home to the blind women of Massachusetts! Another work for the year has been the selection and discussion of excerpts for compiling a second volume of "The Marching Morrows."