CARE OF GIRLS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1680, 21 February 1913, Page 9

CARE OF GIRLS.

— ——4 LESSONS OF A TRAGEDY, (By Tdcgraph,—Pre&s Association.) Auckland, February 19. Hie death of tlio girl Florence l-rances Marks,- who, while dressed in hoy's clothes, took poison on the doorstep of the Salvation Army Home nt l'arnell, and afterwards died in the hospital, was inquired into at the. Coroner's Court this morning, before the coroner and a jury. Dr. Ales. Kinder stated that he was railed to the Salvation Army' Homo in lurnell on February 3 last, where he attended deceased, and ordered her removal to the hospital. A post-mortem examination showed that death was duo to poisoning by_per-chlorido of mercury. Thero were no signs of pregnancy. Dr. Kinder said that the girl was ovidently one of a weak-minded type, a type for tho handling o: which the~o were no arrangements at tho present time. Such persons were not insane. All that one could 6ay was that they were weak-minded. In Christchurcli a movement had been started for. tho establishment of homes under Government control, where such girls could bo put under strict discipline and kept regularly at work. The matter was a very serious one, and tho doctor thought that tho jury should reoommend the Government to take such steps as would make it possible to place such cases -under proper control. The coroner remarked that in his opinion, lunatic asylums would not have half the number of- patients if there were homes for imbeciles, as there were ,in England. At the present time thero was ncthmg between insanity and normal mental condition. There should be roformativi institutions for tho care of those who, while not fit to be nt large, were not proper subjects for. an asylum. Dr. Kinder said that tho need for such a home as he suggested 'was much more urgent]n the case of the female sex than for the other.. ■ The father of the deceased said it was only fair to the girl to say that she was always a good \yorkor. She never shirked, and had a good name wherever she-worked. ! The matron bore out this statement, and said she had heard tho same thins from the girl's work-fellows. Such case 9 were very difficult to deal with, and individuals varied very much; After they lvid bwn put on their feet, some of them would Work- twelve months, some six months, some three, and others would only work a few weeks before they went off again. -If these girls were under proper control and received proper instruction and treatment, a great deal could be done,for them. • ' The jury found that'death was caused by per-chloride of mercury, self-adminis-tered, while deceased was of. unsound "mind; ■ They added a strong rider calling the attention' of the Government to tho importance Of establishing' an institution where, imbecile girls could vbe bronchi lindcr proper control, as suggested-by Dr, ,Kinder.