The social condition of the blind / [D. O Haswell].

  • Haswell, D. O.
Date:
1876
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The social condition of the blind / [D. O Haswell]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/48 (page 13)
    This Institution has attained considerable dimen¬ sions, the balance sheet for 1873 shewing an expen¬ diture of ^£8,317. It occupied for many years large premises in the Euston Eoad, but has lately removed to 28, Berners Street. I am sorry to have to say, that when I sent a polite note to the Secretary, informing him that I was writing an article on the blind and requesting the favour of a report, my request was refused on the plea that the Manager was unwell. Supposing that instead of asking for a report I had offered a donation, would that have been refused on the same ground ? I subsequently ascertained that the London Mirror of June 6th, 1874, contained an abstract of the report, and from that Journal I extract the following particulars. 37 adults of both sexes are employed in the Institution in the making of baskets, brushes, mats, firewood, &c., and 37 others are supplied with work at their own homes, some others receiving small commissions for acting as salesmen or agents, and 21 who are past work receive pensions varying from £5 to £15 12s. This Society has also established some Evening Beading Classes. The following table is given of the earnings of the other workers:— 8 earn from 21s. to 25s. per week. 17 „ 16s. to 20s. 13 ,, 12s. to 15s. 10 ,, 6s. to 11s. and 43 „ 3s. to 5s. „ This makes the number of workers to be 91; there is here some discrepancy, but I will give the Institu¬ tion the benefit of the doubt, and assume that 91 is the number of Blind employed. The 37 who work at their own homes are chiefly employed at basket making, and have, as I am informed, to find their own materials; making a reasonable deduction for this, the average wage would appear to be about 9s. per week. This is certainly more liberal than we generally find in similar Institutions, but the cost of each worker is enormous, being £91 8s. 6d. This )p V 1i