THE MENTAL DEFECTIVES BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 222, 19 September 1928, Page 6

THE MENTAL DEFECTIVES BILL.

The large number of people who have already expressed their objections to the Mental Defectives Bill are not likely to get much consolation out of the measure in the form in which it ha» come back from the Health Committee. It has been modified in a few details, but its main principles are still substantially the same. It still assumes, contrary to all authoritative biological teaching, that mental defects are transmitted by heredity. It still asserts, without any real evidence or attempt at proof, that racial deterioration is in progress in this country in such an acute form as to demand State intervention. .1$ still makes provision for sterilisation and segregation on wholly inadequate grounds; and its definition of "social defective*" arid its standards of registration are almost as diibious and disputable as before. It still largely ignores the important psychological aspects Of the problem, and while strengthening the, position of the purely medical element, it affords no guarantee that the expert psychiatrici knowledge requisite will always be available for the Department's purposses* In brief, the Bill is still largely unscientific and unwarranted by fact or experience, and it still provides wide opportunities for unjustifiable encroachments on personal and social liberty. We agree entirely withthe Leader of the Opposition,-.that this measure is so drastic and far-reaching that it is not in the public interest for Parliament to attempt to reach finality with it' in the few weeks left of this session, and \te hope that public opinion: will support Jlr. fifolland in his attempt to secure its postponement for more prolonged consideration.