TORTURE SHOPS: A SHORTER TITLE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 8, 10 January 1912, Page 3

TORTURE SHOPS: A SHORTER TITLE.

TO THE EDITOK. Sir, — Mr. Ewingfcon, of Auckland, deeorvesthe thanks of tho whole community fot sticking to his gune, and reminding tho Government that the deplorable state of; overcrowding in the Auckland abylum still continues. The unfortunate inmates of these institutions have not votes, and apparently there is only one 'man in. the whole country who has a heart in his body, -and who can feel for tho6O who are_ being tortured. There are many religious people in New Zealand, a strong temperance party, and no doubt many other good men and women, bub none of them have the courage to raise their voices against a state of affairs which would be a disgrace to any uncivilised people. When the Mount View Asylum was demolished," before another had been built to take its place, the first mistake waa made, because the asylums were then overcrowded. Since then, no doubt, things have gone 011 from bad to worse in all of them. And yet, to my mind, terrible as this state of affairs is, ifc is still more terrible to think that no effort is being made to stop the supply of_ mentally afflicted people. Doctors, minister*!, lawyers, and those related to the afflicted know_ well that we are steadily breeding lunatics so as_ to keep_ the^ asylums full, and yet no voice is raised in protest. Will those who are concerned only about the next world maintain that it la reasonable to ask us_ to keep this fright* [ ful disease always with us? Why should we not fight insanity by not breeding it? We know perfectly well that if all tainted families stopped breeding, insanity would soon be stamped out of the race. If these families will not stop tho supply, then, 6ome drastic law will have to_ be passed to prevent them from breeding. Thanking you in anticipation,— l am, , etc., JOSHUA JOHNSON. ! Redheugh, Onapuu, • Picton, 3rd January, 1912.