MENTALLY DEFICIENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 59, 5 March 1912, Page 2

MENTALLY DEFICIENT.

STRATFORD YOUTHS’ RECUR lAR BEHAVIOUR. NO SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. The following is supplied by a. valued correspondent:— It is one of the happy characteristics of our country that those unfortunate persons who are mentally deficient, or who suffer even temporarily from insanity, are carefully looked after, and receive medical attention dn homes for, the express purpose. How often wo come across desperate acts, suicides, murders, etc., committed by persons “while temporarily insane.” Wo are not at all sure whether the following is not a case for investigation by The authorities, with a view to comfortably housing in our mental hospitals some twenty young men of Stratford, who appear to have qualified for admittance to one of these institutions. Everyone who had occasion _ to he abroad (and most of those wiio had not) will remember the weather prevailing on Saturday afternoon last. Torrents of rain fell incessantly from 2.30 p.m. until nightfall, and in tne midst of this teeming storm the representatives of the local Banks and Public 'Works Department met on the showgrounds in a friendly game c/f cricket (ye gods!). The difficulties of the Australian and English teams owing to the wicket being under water were as nothing compared to Saturday’s : conditions, but these sports wore not to : be deterred. They had arranged to play—oi-go, they would play whatever happened. Public Works Willson won the'toss and elected to bat, which decision was warmly approved by those of his side who could wait in the shelter of the pavilion while the Bankers chased the leather about in the pouring rain. Wise man this Willson. Skipper Schofield, of the Finance Team, arranged his field and Twohill and Willson took tho wickets, Archer and Schofield opening tho howling. If the runs did not come freely tho rain did, and the aspect of the Controllers of the Money Market slipping and sliding around in their wild endeavours to intercept the elusive cricket ball elicited roars of laughter from; those safely housed in the pavilion. ;'!'hc efforts of the howlers were mainly directed, at keeping their feet, the .delivery and destination of tho (ball being secondary. However, when the Constructors of Permanent Ways had scored 9 Schofield scattered Twohill’s stumps with a fulltosser and Hill (the redoubtable Hob) ’ joined Willson. , Bob’s pet stroke of whacking the ball betw-pen Iris, legs to square leg was warmly applauded by his fellows in wafting, i, /This stroke only wants cultivating to become a very popular one. But presently Bob whisked too late to one from Hedditch and Albertson replaced him. The new arrival was out for gore and lashed out with a will, and after hitting a boundary and a few others, ,to .say nothing of tho wicketkeeper, ho tried a short one; fitid* was’nm out. The long Raw-bone(d) player ’ who succeeded him suffef ; ed : a like’’fate after comf piling a half ‘dozen. Willson, who was batting ciVefully, was then caught | out by Wilki’6 off Schofield. Keller gave tho Cash Dealers some leather hunting, quickly knocking up a score i of 29, when he was caught by Wilkie off Fowler. Turnbull’s score of one was compiled by careful cricket, giving no chances;-, {till.. Schofield found the only weak point he possessed. Priestly shaped well, but as no camera was about his shaping was wasted on the desert air. Worley, the not-out man. complained that ho could not see the bowler for the rain, which was attending to business thoroughly. No one could understand why McKenzie de- . dined to take the field!! and the innings closed. Tho Streaming Finan- . ciers came squelching in to the pavil- . ion and grabbing tip overcoats, etc., and the Public Workers crept out into ; the Storm area. “Bill” Massey and Skipper Schofield opened to the bowling of Twohill and Willson, and the first over produced 1. The second over from Willson produced a like number and tho fieldsmen had little else to do bat to try and keep warm. The “Leader of the Opposition” complained to the Mnmpire that the splash made by the ball on the pitch obliterated bis vision, causing him to lift one to Albertson, who held on to the - slippery article. McMahon, who had distinguished himself behind the wicJ kets, put Willson away for two, and Schofield was clean howled with a i dirty ball. Archer’s score looked promising at the start, getting a single, then two ,then three. If ho had been allowed to keep on in like manner a tall score would doubtless have re-' - suited; but Willson was heartless. Wilkie and Hcdditch as partners did a. lot of running in a- little time; Hedditch running all the way to tho pavilion, being succeeded by tho Hope of the Side. But Bennett does not shine on a wet wicket (he says it was u 'et) and after trying Keller with a nice catch, delivered his bat to ■ Chookcy Fowler. Whether it was tho weather that suggested it or not, Wil- . kie after missing a straight one from i Raw-bone, promptly kicked the dan- | gcrous ball out of the way. As there i was no umpire looking Wilkie gave i himself out, and so the game ended. Owing to the shortage of players on , Dotli sides (a circumstance for which no one seems able to advance a reasonable excuse) all bets wore declared off before the commencement of this most exciting of contests. A return match on a dry wicket is talked of to discover the best “all- , round” players. Failing this, water polo will be substituted. Raw-bone, j with a bowling average of 2 wickets ■ for one, is a “probable” for the reps, j