The Star. THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1924. CARE OF THE FEEBLE-MINDED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17350, 15 May 1924, Page 6

The Star. THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1924. CARE OF THE FEEBLE-MINDED.

The appointment ot' a committee to inquire and report on the subject of the feeble-minded and the treatment of sexual degenerates is most welcome. Up till now there has been no means of protecting the country against human beings of this class. It is a notorious fact, and one of the great arguments of the eugenist, that a huge criminal, feeble-minded and pauper population springs from feebleminded parents, and hundreds of thousands of these degenerate types, involving great expense to the State, have been traced to feeble-minded parents in various countries. The committee tlpit is to inquire and report on the subject in New Zealand will be able to take the evidence of eminent alienists and social workers on this very vita! subject, and the force of public opinion, we feel sure, will assert itself in seeing that the recommendations are not merely shelved as usual.

Latterly a very strong feeling has arisen in favour of de-sexualising the sexual degenerate, and it is very hard to resist the strong case that is put forward by the most eminent authorities in favour of this course. The scope, of the inquiry, however, will be very much wider than this, and will have to take in the possibility of the segregation and possible moral regeneration of individuals who have no definite criminal tendency, but rather an inherited predisposition towards crime. In this connection the provision of half-way houses will certainly come under' review.

To what extent, if at ajll. the committee’s proceedings will be open to the Press is not stated, but it w'ould be a strong educative factor if the evidence taken could be reported as far as possible, since very keen public interest has been aroused in the subject, and the ultimate decision in regard to certain drastic remedies must be guided largelv bv public opinion. The committee appears to be well selected, and it is certain that it will be able to secure invaluable evidence from experts in every centre. The. insularity of New Zealand inspires the hope that more effective measures can be taken in regard to public health matters generally than is possible in other countries, and if something practical can be done in regard to the feeble minded and sexual perverts a great social advance will have been recorded.

The wreck of the Ngahere in a veritable graveyard of ships at the mouth of the Grey River offers one more proof of the wisdom of building the Otira tunnel, although, strangely enough, the loss and damage to vessels trading to Grevmouth "was never advanced among the many strong arguments for the completion of this national work. The present generation cap remember half a dozen names—the Perth, the Opouri, the Kotulcu and the Lauderdale foremost among them—of the thirty odd vessels that have been lost on or near the Grevmouth bar, usually with full cargoes. We hope that the elimination of a great part of the risky shipping business of this port consequent on the opening of the tunnel, will not be lost on those northern critics who look with parochial disfavour on all southern public works.

Only a blind man could have failed to be disgusted with many of the vulgarities that were flagrantly exhibited in the students procession yesterday. These vulgar set-pieces are an evidence of very scanty brains or wit, and any respectable sign-writer would certainly decline to execute them if he were obliged to put his name to the effort. As a matter of fact, the students rely on the disguise afforded by fancy costumes and painted faces to “get away” with a lot of indecent nonsense that they would certainly not dare to be associated with individually in the minds of decent citizens, or even their own circle of friends. The time has come when an effort should be made by the more decent members in the large and, wc fear, motley body of students to impose a strict censorship on the dirty-minded elements of their number. And if the reform cannot come from within, the police or college authorities will have to take a hand.

The scale on which the A. and P. Association has launched its winter show suggests that the fixture may become in time a popular late autumn holiday event for the country people of the province. With dog trials, jumping, displays of stock, dog parades and so on, the association has only to be assured of good weather to interest both town and country, especially as evening attractions are provided. The selection of May for the event is wise, because Christchurch almost invariably has a fortnight or three weeks of Indian summer during May. The* enterprise of the association is deserving of success, and the only doubt that presents itself on that subject from a city point of view is the fact that no holiday occurs during the month. However, the association has put its hand to the plough, and we hope, for the sake of the city, that there will be no turning back. If the outdoor event proves unsuccessful, the association might stage an ideal w'inter show' in a building like the King Edward barracks, where an evening attendance would be assured; but in any case it is to be hoped that the show has come to slav.