THE PLEA OF THE DEAF-MUTE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8545, 27 March 1908, Page 4

THE PLEA OF THE DEAF-MUTE.

A ctjbtous protest has been forwarded to the Government by the Australasian Deaf and Dumb Association, which has its headquarters at Melbourne. Recently, it will be remembered, a deaf mute, a resident of New South Wales, came to New Zealand to a situation as a slaughterman, in which he was capable of earning a weekly wag© of £57 He was refused admittance into the Dominion because he was deaf and dumb, the decision of the authorities being widely criticised by people who hold that a whit© man, even though he be so unfortunate as to have lost his hearing, is more desirable as a citizen of New Zealand than, say, a Chinaman or other Asiatic. The matter Tested there, however, for a time, but it has now been taken up by ipe Association above mentioned, and they set out their case convincingly. Referring- to the clause of the Passenger Act, 1882, under which the Customs officers took action, the statement says:—"We desire respectfully to point out that such a law could only have been brought into existence through lack of knowledge as to the true condition and capabilities of the deaf and dumb, and experience has shown that the majority of hearing people hold erroneous conceptions concerning the deaf, believing them to be more or less mentally defective, and thus incapable of providing for themselves. Of course, there are a few imperfect mentally, but this is also the case with the hearing communi+v The deaf and dumb people naturally resent being classed with lunatics, idiots, and undesirables, for the only difference between them and the rest of the community is they are without the sense of hearing. The average educated deaf-mute is mentally and physically sound. He is able, and does hold his own with normal persons, being employed side by side with them in office and workshop. He is a householder, rate and taxpayer, and altogether a desirable citizen. They feel that the loss of hearing is 'a burden sufficiently hard to carry without hieing further handicapped by that section of the community that should make easy, not more difficult, their way through life." It is to be hoped that the action taken by the Association will cause more care to be exercised in future and that the recurrence of such a regrettable incident as that complained of will be prevented.