MENTAL DEFECTIVES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 15 July 1924, Page 9

MENTAL DEFECTIVES.

SITTING OF COMMISSION. VIEWS OF SALVATION ARMY. (BY TELEGRAPH^—PRESS ASSOCIATION.I WELLINGTON, July 15. lne Mental Defectives Commission is sitting here. Colonel Bray, of the Salvation Army, with 41 years’ experience in the Army’s soeial’work in Austialasia, saicl the Armv had considerable experience with all forms of degeneracy in persons of all. ages. The causes of feeble-niindedness were some, times difficult to explain. There was first the question of heredity, and then the question of environment. Housing conditions certainly affected the latter cause. Knowledge acquired from polluted sources spoilt many young lives. The army advocated that some national scheme should be adopted for the early detection and treatment of the feeble-minded, and also of those who were simply backward children-, on the lines suggested by Mr. Caughly. 1 reatment should be pi veil under the best condition. A great deal of good might he done by teaching sex hygiene through nature study, carried oil progressively. Such teaching should be given by medical men with known high morals and spiritual standards. Teachers coulrj be trained to imnart such lessons judiciously, and such teaching should take place not only in the State schools, but in private and boarding schools. The teaching should not he obvious. The Army was of the opinion that there was an increase oi“ immorality among young people, among u horn a knowledge of preventive measures was observed. The Army advocated the segregation of sexual perverts.

Canon Feilden Taylor (Anglican) said thciG .seemed to he n tendency to exaggerate the moral degeneration. The number of degenerates was comparatively few, and might be traced to other causes than sex. He believed that two causes were the absence of control at home and lack of the inculcation of a sense of honour. He held that public lectures on sex subjects vere unwise and private instruction dangerous. Parents must be held to their responsibilities. The State could onlv do patchwork. Professor H. B. Kirk sDoke of the possibility of improving the race by environment. It was clear that in the gloat majority of cases feeblc-i-jijnded-ness wa s inherited. The unfit should l>e rendered infertile. Alter hearing the opinions of Mr F. S. Abell, juvenile probationer officer, and Mr J. Down. superintendent of the Tako orison for mental defectives, the commission was adjourned till tomorrow morning.