MENTAL DEFECTIVES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 207, 31 July 1928, Page 2

MENTAL DEFECTIVES

OBJECTION TO MEASURE,

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 30 ; To-night the executive of the Weilington branch of the New Zealand Howard League for penal reform expressed the opinion that certain provisions contained in the Mental Defectives Amendment Bill called for revision and considerable modification.

This is particularly the case in respect to:—(a) An extension of the definition of a mentally defective person; (b) the constitution and functions of the board; (c) the compilation of the register. The executive submits that the definition of persons socially defective in clause 7 is ambiguous and liable to serious misconstruction and should be amended in terms of tho British Amendment, 1927. The constitution of the board to include four departmental heads is objected to, it being considered that departmental officials, however efficient, should not be required to undertake tho onerous and exacting duties that confront the board in the compilation of the register and the administration of the Act. Decisions on such important matters as registration should, it was held, be determined by unanimous vote and the board should so far as possible consist of independent experts. The bill, it was stated, did not make clear whether the board was actually an examining body or whether its functions were purely administrative. In the latter case no assurance is to be gained from the bill that any adequate examining board, such as a travelling clinic as advocated by Dr Gray in his recent report, will be set up. It is most strongly urged that all reference to retardation bo eliminated from the bill. In respect to setrilisation, it cannot be too strongly emapliasised that sterilisation without segregation might be from tho point of view of morals and public health highly dangerous. Segregation on the other hand rendered sterilisation unnecessary.