FEEBLE-MINDED.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 4 July 1924, Page 5

FEEBLE-MINDED.

DANGER IN DANCE HALLS. PROTECTION OF THE YOUNG. (BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASTJCIATION.) DUNEDIN, July _3. The Committee of Inquiry concerning mental defectives opened its sitting here this morning. Miss Joan Muirray, for two years a member of the health patrol, urged the necessity of segregating the feebleminded and 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 far 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 the segregation of such and examination hy experts. When any. possible latent ability was discovered, this should be stimulated by expert training under conditions, if possible* made self-supporting. 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 matters. She was opposed to teaching sex hygiene in schools as a, routine practice. Children’s minds were too immatmre 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. In answer to a question concerning the prevention of the perpetuation of the unfit, the witness had nothing to say against sterilisation.