IMBECILE AND IDIOTIC CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12328, 21 July 1903, Page 3

IMBECILE AND IDIOTIC CHILDREN.

There has this session already been considerable discussion in reference to the ltinatio asylums and the caro of the imbecile, arising for the most part out of the petition of Jessie Mackenzie, of Auckland. Miss Mackenzie, in writing to us on the subject, says:—"The object of the petition is twofold, that of benefiting the feeble children necessarily maintained by the State f and that of educating the public with regard to the subject of training the feeble-minded, so that the public; shall resolve- to provide themselves with an educational institution where those afflicted can have such capabilities as they possess developed, and can be taught self-control and many other valuable habits," The, petition is as follows:—"That there are, throughout the colony of New Zealand, many weak-minded or imbecile and idiotic children, for whom no appropriate provision is made; and the only shelter for whom, if they become unmanageable in their homes, is the lunatic asylum, where they are un- ; avoidably associated with patients who are under treatment for insanity, and where also no attempt is made toward classification or improvement by means of training and education. That in Europe the experience of the past 50 years has been that by careful treatment under qualified teachers, and nurses, many of the class referred to have been so benefited as to become useful members of, society, and also able to earn their own living. That Dr. MacGregor, InspectorGeneral of Asylums, has from time to time pointed out the necessity of separate • provision being made for imbecile patients fin tho various asylums, urging that a certain degree of education should be imparted to those children who may be capable of receiving it. Tho object of this petition is to sustain Dr. MacGregor in his efforts, and to indicato the necessity of making a classification of the patients, and the providing of a central country home, with teachers lo r the imbecile children, where whatever ability may bo developed by training may contribute to the maintenance- of the homo, loot the petitioners have full knowledge of many sad cases in which ignorance more than cruelty has subjected those helpless beings to neglect and maltreatment, allowing them to grow' up and face life as best they may; too often to become the victims of evil, and finally a greater burden upon the community than they would have been had they been wisely cared for in infancy by the State. That it is not intended to invite the genera public to participate in such movement until they have been sufficiently educated upon the subject to do so with intelligence meanwhile, the prayer of this petition is on behalf only of those who are already inmates of lunatic asylums. Your petitioners therefore pray that your Honourable House will take tho foregoing statement into your favourable consideration, and oause such steps to be taken as may appear proper toward the realisation of the object of this petition.