MENTAL DEFECTIVES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 10 June 1927, Page 3

MENTAL DEFECTIVES

xREA TME NT SD'G G E ST.E I) jFAP.M FOU CffJLDREN (Or.ilxvi Proas Association) NAPIER, Blh June*. Addressing subscribers to the Hawkes Bav Children’s Home at the nninuil meeting 10-dny. Dr, A. Chirk, medical oflircir In the Education Hoard, who is resigning, and leaving shortly lor England. said he would like to bring forward a matter iri which he was deeply interested. In past years he had occasion to consider the treatment of the mentally defective individual. In every society there were a number of individuals' unable to keep out of crime. These generally had grown up from children classed as mental defectives. Few normal individuals came into conflict with the law. The mental defective was like his normal companion in many ways, but not of such keen intelligence; lie was like someone walking in a half-light and could not avoid traps and pitfalls which most people avoided; he could not understand the ordinary standards of conduct. (Something had already been done for this class. The Education Board had instituted special classes in Napier and Hastings, but admirable as these were, uo provision has been made tor such individuals beyond that stage. One might almost say that- the only hope for them was to commit a crime, when they would be committed to one of the special institutions in the South Island; there were none in the North. Dr. Clark said he had watched the work of the homes, and on leaving New Zealand he felt he could pay the trustees a compliment. The admirable way iri.which the homes were, run convinced him that their organisation was the best' to undertake charge of defectives. Sir James Parr Had promised that the Government yould help any such scheme. He proposed that the trustees should start a farm colony to which boys could be drafted from a special school. Some would remain tlmir all their lives; others might leave when the authorities considered they had no anti-social tendencies. It was held that the two years, 12 to 14, were the decisive years. If the child was trained in those years In become a useful citizen well and good : if not be would never be fit for anything but suen an institution. The former class would become, comm ternart isans. the latter would never bo other than casual labourers, and unsatisfactory ones at that, and would probably become petty delinquent men, with a grudge against society. If anything could save this class from its pitiful fate it would lie worth trying. It would he possible to start a home for twenty boys, which could be developed later as became necessary. He was sure it would be found interesting as well as useful work.

In answer to a question Dr. Clark said it would be necessary to provide a separate institution for the work. Miss Munro, who is in charge of the Napier special class, said that the new Director of Education (Mr Strong) was much interested in the work and had promised assistance. She invited members of the committee to visit her class. On the chairman’s motion the matter was referred to the trustees for their favourable consideration.