MENTAL DEFECTIVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19658, 9 June 1927, Page 12

MENTAL DEFECTIVES.

METHODS OF TREATMENT. /{arm COLONY SUGGESTION. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] NAPIER, Wednesday. .The treatment of mental defectives was dealt with in an address to subscribers to the Hawke's Bay Children's Home, at the annual meeting to-day, by Dr. A. Clark, medical officer to the Education Board, who is resigning and leaving shortly for England. Dr. Clark said that in the past eight years he had occasion to consider 'the treatment of mentally defective individuals. In every society there was 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 mentally defective individual was like his normal companions in many ways, but not of such keen intelligence. He was like someone walking in half light, and could. not avoid the traps and pitfalls which most people avoid. lie 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, no provision had been made for such individuals beyond that stage. One might almost say the only hope for them was to commit 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 in which the homes were run had convinced him that their organisation was the best to undertake the charge of defectives. Sir James Parr had pi-omised that the Government would help any such scheme. He proposed that the trustees should start a farm colony, to which boys could be drafted from special schools. Some would remain there all their lives, but others might leave whert the authorities considered they had no anti-social tendencies. It was held that the two years between the ages of 12 and 14 were decisive years. If the child was trained in those years to become a useful citizen, well and good. If not, he would never be fit. for anything but such an institution. Tbe former class would become competent arlisans, but the latter would never be other than casual labourers, and unsatisfactory ones at that, and would probably become pretty delinquent, or a man with a grudge against society. If anything could save this class from its pitiful fate it would be worth trying. It would be possible to start a home for 20 boys, which could be developed later as necessary. Ho was sure it would be fonjid 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, mistress in charge of the Napier special class, said the new Director of Education, Mr. T. B. Strong, was much interested in tho work, and had Sromised assistance. She invited members of the committee to visit hor class. On the chairman's motion the matter of Dr. Clark's proposal was referred to tho trustees for their favourable consideration.