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I can only take the time to tell you briefly two or three practical things that have been done in Massachusetts during the last three years through field work and cooperation for bringing together the blind at the time of their need and the agencies for helping them. First of all, we had the help of the state census, secured through Dr. Hartwell's bill (and I ought to say here that this is not the same as the 1900 census of which Miss Holt was speaking this morning. It is the Massachusetts State Census, with additions and corrections). This 1905 census material is the most substantial basis possible for our work. The census welcomed additions from 'us for completing their work, but they gave us first a big block of material that stands for live, human people who need our help. Here I ought to say, too, no one wants to find any person who does not need or want to be known. There are those who look us up to see what we are doing and can do for them; but where there is a handicap of a foreign language, and of ignorance and superstition, the blind must be found by some such method as a census. Then, too, it is to be said that many a skilled person becoming blind still supposes that there is no form of activity open to him, and only through such a means could we discover and connect him with the existing possibilities for the blind.

For the second contribution to this same end we are indebted to the cooperation begun by the Massachusetts Association for Promoting the Interests of the Blind and the Eye and Ear Infirmary and continued with the Commission. By this arrangement the Eye and Ear Infirmary reports to the Commission those of its patients who are blind, partly blind, or likely to become blind. Children are in the Nursery for Blind Babies, in the Perkins School, and persons have been helped in a greater variety of ways than I can describe tonight by this cooperation; persons who otherwise might not have known for some years, if at all, of resources for the blind.

The third agency is the local committee on the blind, which consists of from one interested person in a community to a highly organized committee. There are at present in a number of our cities and towns such committees in various stages of activity, according to the needs of their blind, who stand ready to cooperate with the Commission, calling needs to their attention and taking up the local end of the problem. In the development of this relation lies, I believe, one of the most valuable ways of helping the blind; and as the committees develop, and the number of resources develop, we shall together straighten out individual problems and, I trust, contribute new discoveries to the cause. I wish there were time to tell you who these committees are, where they are, and what they are doing.

I don't for a minute wish to convey the idea that at this moment I think any need of any blind person can be met. Far from it; a complete compendium of universal knowledge with an appendix could not give a recipe for that. But these things have been done, and there are two or three more things I should like to see done at once, towards making work for the blind line up with other social movements in the matter of constructive cooperation. One is that the annual school census should be asked to cooperate by reporting cases of all children permanently out of school, or seriously delayed in their progress on account of defective eyesight. Mr. Green tells me that this is already done in Missouri, and Mr. Fraser tells me that he has secured a similar plan in Canada in his province. The second plan would apply to the problem of the homeless, aged, and infirm. I used to think there should be no homes for the blind as such, and I still incline to the view that there would better not be, but I do see a place for small cottage homes for those who want them. However, I believe the way to manage the whole matter is to have the central foundation of a fund under wise administration, which may be used in various ways; that the cases should be taken up one by one, according to individual needs and recommendation made, upon careful investigation, for help from this fund for either admission fee to a home for the blind, or (better, I believe) a home for the seeing, or for board in a private family, whichever would make that individual situation happiest and best. We must face the fact, too, that time and an experienced and sympathetic person must be allowed for carrying out this plan. I should call this "socializing" the work of care of the aged and infirm blind. There are other things to be said, but these must serve as illustrations and suggestions. One thing more should be remembered, that in every state there are more resources for the blind than those especially designated for them, and these should be used first and to the utmost. I believe that the position of the blind in the community is bettered more when a blind man is admitted to the same work bench with the seeing; when an aged blind person is admitted to a home for the aged on the same terms as a seeing person; when a blind student is received at the university or college on the same scholarship that would be given a seeing man, than by double the number of special agencies for the blind.