MENTALLY WEAK.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 June 1924, Page 3

MENTALLY WEAK.

A SERIOUS PROBLEM. EVIDENCE BEFORE COMMISSION. CBY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.! AUCKLAND, Juno 13. The Mental Defectives Commission has concluded its Auckland sitting. This morning evidence was given by Miss Girdler, superintendent of the St. Mary’s Home, Otahuhu which provides for young mothers with illegitimate children, for infants born of defective parents, and the care of infants during emergencies. By the rules of the home a girl had to remain there six months after the birth of her child. In nine cases in the past two years the ages of the mothers were under sixteen years; in seven eases the child died; in at least five cases the child had some definite peculiarity. Of 22 children at least seven were below the standard development for their age, , The home had no constitutional power to control the. inmates. Many after a few months wanted to return to their old life. The work of reformation was seriously interfered with by the parents, who sought to benefit by the girls’ labour, often in the milking shed. Difficulty was experienced with subnormal or deficient children, which existing schools for defectives do not admit till six years of age. The Rev. F. It. Jeffreys, formerly a probation officer, said one of the root causes of delinquency was lack of proper control and home restraint. Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., said it was monstrous that defective couples should be allowed to produce offspring. The only alternative was life-long segregation. If voluntary sterilisation were allowed it might accustom the public mincl to the right way of dealing with the evil. There should be separate instituitons for mental defectives. Three-fourths of the criminals liberated on license committed breaches of their licenses. Permanent segregation was the proper treatment, hut sterilisation would never be tolerated in New Zealand. A certificate of health in respect of marriage would be a failure, as couples would live together unwedded. Mr. N- H. S, Law, headmaster of the Normal School, urged special classes for backward children. Dr. R. M. Beattie, superintendent of the Auckland Mental Hospital, urged farm colonies for the feeble-minded of both sexes, with a provision for proper training and recreation. He would let them marry under certain conditions. Seventy per cent, of imbecility was caused by accident at birth. He favoured compulsory sterilisation under the supervision of at least three' medical men. and perhaps, a larger number. After a sexual offence a provision should be that treatment should be compulsorv Dr D. N. N. Mur ray, medical officer for the Prisons Department, favoured the _ segregation of chronic offenders against morality and decency. The commission sits at Hamilton tomorrow. ?