THE MENTAL DEFICENT

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1927, Page 4

THE MENTAL DEFICENT

SHOULD BE SAVED EROM PITIFUL FATE. NAPIER. June S. Addressing subscribers to the Hawke’s Hay Children's Heme at the annual meeting to-day. Dr A. ( 'ark. medical officer to the Education Hoard, who is resigning and leaving r.iiurtly for England, stud he would like to bring forward a matter in which he was deeply interested. In past tears he had occasion to consider the treatment of the mentally defectiv eiudividuni. In every society there were a number of individuals unable to keen out of crime. Those generally had grown up from children claw'd as mental defectives. Few normal individuals came into conflict with the iaw. The mental detective was like his ltoi-

nial companions in many ways, bill not of such keen intelligence. Tie was like someone walking in a hall light and could not avoid the traps and pitfall* which most people avoid. He could not understand ordinary standards ol

conduct. .Something had already been dune for this class. The Education Board had instituted special (lasses in Napier and Hastings, hut admirable a.s these were no provision had been made for such individuals beyond that stage. One might almost say that the only hope for them was to commit a crime, when they would he committed to one of tin* special institutions in the South Island. There were none in the north.

|)r Clark said he had watched the work of the homes and oil leaving New Zealand he felt he could pay the trustees a compliment. The admirable way in which the homes were conducted convinced him that their organisation was the best to undertake charge of defectives. Sir James Parr had promised that the Government would help any such scheme, lie proposed that trustees should start a I arm colony to which hoys could he drafted from Lhe special school. Some would remain there all their lives. Others might leave when the authorities considered they had no anti-social tendencies. It was held that the two years 12 to 1-1 were the decisive, years. If a child was trained in those years to become a use. ful citizen well and good; if not lie would never be fit for anything but K,ich an institution. The former class would become competent artisans, the latter would never be other than casual labourers, and unsatisfactory ones at that, and would probably become petty delinquent men with a grudge against society. If anything could save this class from its pitiful fate it would he worth trying. Tt would be possible to start a home for twenty hoys, which could be developed later as necessary. He was sure it would he found interesting as well as useful work. In answer to a question Dr Clark said it would he necessary to provide a separate institution for work. AFiss Munro, in charge of the Napier special class, said that the new Diiector of Education, Afr Strong, was much interested in the work and had promised assistance. She invited members or the committee to visit her class. On the chairman’s motion the matter was referred to the trustees lor their favourable consideration.