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In a factory where hairpins are being made, two partially blind men found positions for themselves feeding hairpins into rounding machines. All that is required of the operative is to start the hairpin into the machine, and when the process is completed throw the hairpin into a receptacle. In this same shop a place was found for a partially blind woman in a detail of the manufacture known as "stringing hair-pins," that is to say, she took the rough pins and placed them side by side on a stick about eighteen inches long, which when filled was turned over to a polisher. That is all that was required of her, and it is evident that practically no sight was necessary for the work.

Tobacco stripping, namely, taking the stems from the leaves, is and probably always must be done by hand. This work, unfortunately, is poorly paid; but when a woman, such as the one we placed, is entirely without resources, it is better than nothing.

I found hardly a factory which did not have at least one process which might be performed by an operative with little or no sight. But in some cases an obstacle presented itself, namely, that coupled with a simple task went inspection which requires full sight. For example, many articles like soap, chocolate, etc., have to be wrapped or packed in separate packages. Work requiring greater skill is done by blind children in their kindergartens, but in the factory the person who wraps the article must also detect flaws and cast out the imperfect pieces. Some factories employ people constantly labeling cans, bottles, small boxes, etc. Such work is possible for some of those with defective vision.

A particularly good instance of how a man's former training may help him is shown by Mr. X., who, previous to the loss of his sight, had been a wheelwright. When he was reported to the Massachusetts Association for the Blind there seemed to be nothing before him but idleness. We found him a position in a large factory where wooden packing cases were required in such quantities that one man was kept busy all the time assembling the parts. Our man was started on a piece basis and commenced by earning three dollars a week. The following letter from the superintendent of the factory tells its own story:

BOSTON, March 30, 1907.

The partially blind man whom you sent to us has been employed by us for nearly two years. His speed and skill have grown with his experience, and he is now doing his work in an entirely satisfactory manner. His pay averages about two dollars per day, and he does his work as well as any one could do it possessing full eyesight.

Since the Commission has become a permanent factor in the welfare of the blind in Massachusetts, my associate, Mr. Holmes, has been giving special attention to employment bureau work. His paper goes into further details with regard to this problem, and he will cite some excellent examples of how blind men have been placed.

One of the first things that the Massachusetts Association did four years ago was to encourage the operation of a private telephone exchange at the Massachusetts Reformatory by a partially blind boy, an inmate of the institution. Unfortunately the introduction of the use of light signals at the central telephone stations instead of the drop signals, which are distinguishable to both hearing and touch, put a damper for some years to telephone operating as a possible occupation for the blind. With the great increase in the use of the telephone, however, has come the multiplication of private branch exchanges, with the audible signals, and in the operation of these there ought to be opportunities for blind or partially blind operators. It is encouraging to hear of the work done along this line in New York, and of other instances in various parts of the country, where blind people have secured and are successfully filling positions as telephone operators.

Through the newspapers and correspondence we learn of individuals who, through their own exertions, are successfully engaged in some business or occupation ordinarily thought to be impossible of accomplishment without sight. These, when proven authentic, encourage one to look for similar opportunities for those among our applicants who have like qualifications.

In most of the cases mentioned above there has been a deliberate effort on the part of a friendly organization to find the position and to persuade the employer to give the blind man an opportunity to try the work. Convincing employers and the public that persons with defective vision can do certain work well under existing conditions is quite half our problem.

When urging the trial of a blind person among seeing workers I have always insisted that payment should be made strictly for service rendered, and not for charity's sake. If a blind worker is paid only that which he fairly earns, no criticism can be made by the seeing operatives. In the shops where piece work prevails, there can be no question as to the amount earned by the blind man. It is usually wise, when endeavoring to place a worker, to select a person with some sight, no that he or she will have no trouble in getting about the factory. Once such a worker is established, it will be easier, as a rule, to introduce a second person who is totally blind, although I may say that the first person for whom I secured a position in a factory was wholly without sight.