THE FEEBLE-MINDED?

Taranaki Daily News, 4 July 1924, Page 4

THE FEEBLE-MINDED?

SEGREGATION ADVOCATED. MORALITY DANCES. By Telegraph—Preas Aasoelatlon. Dunedin, Last NightThe Committee of Inquiry concerning mental defectives opened its sitting here this morwing. Miss Joan Murray, for two years a member of the health patrol, urged the necessity of segregating the feeble-mind-ed r.nd protecting the erring by instruction and supervision. Mothers should be taught the importance of safeguarding the morality of the child, because quite young children were contaminated at all dance halls. There should be some one responsible for the conduct of young people other than the man who ran the dance. Dr. Irwin, school medical officer, stated that, 45 feeble-minded children came officially under her notice. She advocated th? segregation of such and examination by experts. When any possible latent ability was discovered, this should be stimulated by expert training under conditions, if possible, made selfsupporting. Many such children were drifting along in the public schools and became morbid. They never developed any effort at attention or observation. On the question of sexual perverts Dr. Irwin stated that at times in public schools cases of immorality arose, or language was used suggesting an intimate knowledge of sex matten. She was opposed to teaching sex hygiene :n schools as a routine practice. Children’s mind« were too immature to grasp the full significance of such knowledge. To her mind the salvation of these possibly already morbid products was to rid their minds of the subject altogether. Tn answer t«< a question concerning th? prevention n ? the perpetuation of the unfit, the witness had nothing to say against sterilisation.