CARE OF FEEBLE-MINDED

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LII, Issue 8631, 11 July 1924, Page 5

CARE OF FEEBLE-MINDED

FACTS DISCLOSED AT EXOUIIIT. (Per Pi'OiSs A.ssoi iatii.ui'.^ Christchurch, July 11. An impression was made on the Committee of Enquiry into the treatment ot the fcckW-mmd-ed and sexual o[fenders by Miss A. Edwards, manager of the Christchurch Keceiving Mome. "When in the eourse -of eykleime she dealt, with file, cost to the State of two feeble-minded families. In tin 1 first case the fatjjoil's feeble-minded and tli* '* mother feeble-minded and a drunkard. They have eleven children, ail ot whom have been committed® to a receiving home, two or three, together and at different times. Miss Edwards described all the children as being* in a very filthy state and very much neglected, when committed. The- oo<t to the country of maintaining that family was about £IOOO. The father had contributed £6. In the other case, the father is in a homo and the mother in another home. There are six daughters hy this marriage and there arc no fewer than 21 grandchildren, all in the receiving home. Two of the daughters are married and the children of the others are illegitimate. Some of the grandchildren are doing well but others are deceitful and untruthful. Almost all the grandchildren are delicate and poorly developed and at least six of them are consumptive. One is almost blind. The cost of maintaining this family up to the present time is £9,258 I Os. The respective fathers have contributed £482. 18s, leaving -£BB9B to be borne by the country. # Mr Triggs, Chairman, ol the Commission, said it had cost the country about £24.000 to maintain these two families. • Mr J. Bick said that did not end the country’s responsibility. In ten years, nrobnblv the cost of the two families would be doubled.