SOCIAL WELFARE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 171, 21 July 1928, Page 10

SOCIAL WELFARE.

MENTAL DEFECTIVES BILL FURTHER DISCUSSED. GREAT CAUTION URGED. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Friday. About two hours were spent in th* House to-day in discussing the Minister of Health's Mental Defectives Amendment Bill. Much of the subject matter of the debate was necessarily of such & nature as cannot be published in a daily newspaper. "A safe, sure, and broad foundation of proved essential facts," to use the words of Dr. Gray (Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals), was, said Mr. Eraser (Wellington Central) the onlv way New Zealand should adopt in dealing with mental defectives. A House composed of laymen whose scientific knowledge was necessarily limited must be very careful in all that it did on such an important matter. Every possibility of error must be guarded against, lest in partially solving some problems other worse dangers and evils were created. This sort of legislation should only be attempted on proven facts. If passed on any other basis it would be dangerous and criminal. Mr. G. W. Forbes (Leader of the National party) suggested that members would need considerable scientific and medical knowledge to give an opinion which was worth while on some of the most important clauses. It would have been better had the bill been first sent to a special committee to take expert evidence, which would have eiven some members of the House an opportunity of specially studying the subject. When it came to the method? and power- of the proposed board these wjuld need to be closely watched, and the limits jnade as clear as possible. Messrs. Buddo. T. Mason, and also jspokc, and the debate was adjourned.