SOCIAL DEFECTIVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 172, 23 July 1928, Page 9

SOCIAL DEFECTIVES.

TREATMENT OF FEEBLEMINDED.

AMPLE SAFEGUARDS PROVIDED. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) HAMILTON", this day Ari impoitant proposal and the mai-i feature of attack by the opponents of the Mental Defectives Bill is that which makes provision in certain cases for males or females classified as feeblminded to be rendered sterile with a v iev to preventing them propagating tlieispecies. In a chat which a. "Star" represent ;• tive had with Hon. J. A. Young. Minister of Health, dfuring the latter's stay in Hamilton, over the week-end, Mr. Yo.ur,g said there appeared to be a great deal of misunderstanding and unfounded misapprehension regarding the proposals in the bill, as there was nothing compulsory in the measure.

The operations proposed, he said, were those of vasectomy in the male and tubectomy in the female, which medical authorities stated were simple operations. In no instance would the operation be performed in the case of an adult person able to comprehend the nature of ithings, said Mr. \oung, without his or [her consent. In the case of minors, parjents or guardians were required to give their approval. Those adult persons who were unable to comprehend, were, in the eyes of the law, regarded as mihors and consent of parents, guardians or intima.te friends would still be required in their cases. The pubHe little realised. continued the Minister, the tremendous amount of Ti'uman misery and the cost to the com munity. which resulted from the unhindered multiplication of that type oi mental defective, whom it was proposed to include under the new classification of "social defectives." Speaking with regard to the proposal to admit specified cases to parole, Mr. Young said the bill provided for the setting up of a board of seven persons, tj be presided over by the Director-General ..f Mental Hospitals, and to comprise, it addition, the Director-General of Health the Director of Education, the Controller General of Prisons, an officer of the lien tal Hospitals Department, specially.iriiw? in psychiatry (treatment of

mental diseasesi. and two persons, .it least one a woman, ami the other specially appointed on the recommendation •?" some social service organisation working for the welfare of the feeble minded, arid recognised by the Minister.

A function of the board will be to compile a register oT all feeble-minded persons in the Dominion and to ensur.proper soperv ision of those registered. Ample .safeguards are provided against! improper registration, and persons may appeal against registration. Where in tention to appeal is notified to the board no registration can be made without ~he approval of a judge of the Supreme Court given in chambers. It will be one of the functions of the 1 ooard to provide tor the establirriim'. , nt of special institutions for the care am! treatment of the feeble-minded, and abo to ; n <ik t* pru'viv. <>n f«»r [v i»•;i - o on pj.ro-:} in cases ««iere considered desirable. The board will also have general supervision of the environment and conditions uf living ut such persons, with a view to giving them every protection. Aniens? other things it vvill be a pena! ort'en for anyone to supply alcoholic liquor to a registered person. It "ill also be a penal offence for any person to have earnal knowledge of any mentally defective female. It is a well-known fact, said t"e Minister, that the feeble-minded are particularly fecund, and he felt strongly that proper scientific oversight should je

exercised in connection with the marriage of feeble-mindvd Tj that end it was proposed to in\est the Iw-iurd wirn power to determine who of the feebleminded should be permitted to marry. It will be an offence for anyone to be u party to the marriage of a feeble-minded person without the consent of the board. Mr. Young added that in a number of countries the system here proposed of releasing feeble-minded persona on parole, had been adopted. In the State of Call* fornia there were over 3000 registered feeble-minded persons, of whom 900 were on probation. The danger to the community from the moral conduct of social defectives on parole was. said Mr. Young, positive ly negligible, and the methods proposed in the bill were, he claimed, in the interests of the moral health of the persons concerned. and the interests of the community general Li*.