PLIGHT OF CULTURED MISFIT

NZ Truth, Issue 1181, 19 July 1928, Page 2

PLIGHT OF CULTURED MISFIT

Doors Locked Against Inmate Who Has Done No Wrong

(From "N.Z, Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative.)

Guilty of the unpardonable crime of being born a , cultured misfit, Eliott Standfield, a middle-aged man of good breeding, wanders the streets of Dunedin, eatmg and sleeping at the Salvation Army shelter, spending his time during the day m paiks and about the cit\).

TJE is cast out, a helpless piece of IT jetsam, the victiiri of a lethargic, • conservative local body which is shelving -the responsibility of caring for ah ecohoriiically useless man — useless 'of their own making. Stand'fleld, it may be said, is a dreariier, as well as a thinker, whose misfortune it was to arrive on this planet probably fifty years ■ before his timei , '•< •. . . His bent was for writing and some thirty years ago he earned a modest living as a literary hack m Tasmania. At the age of 27, just after the conclusipn of the Boer War, he came to New Zealand, but was unable to find work. ' In his early days, Standfield realized that he had physical limitations arid aimed at the ideal of knocking out a precarious living as an obscure writer for any paper that would accept his literary wares. .<••'' ■ But this well ran dry. He has written' on " philosophical, political, ethical and literary matters, a,nd, no doubt, m the same spirit as Barbellion's '.'Journal of a Disappointed- Man," he destroyed his manuscripts ..in a mofnent of mental disgust. ■ i ■ It was his misfortune to be absolutely unsuited for various forms of manual labor, due primarily to the leniency of' a professional father who had aspirations of "the higher arts" for his son. ' '•''.•■' . The younger Standfield was thus educated for a professional career, but nature had framed m him the ' physical and mental combination of a man for wjiom the world could offer at that time no position. ' Standfield came to be domiciled m the Otago Benevolent ..Institution, which was then admiriistered by a board of trustees. ■■'„.'■ And there he was allowed to stay because he made •■ ■•

ihiiriself useful m many menial duties without pay. 'IV suited the trustees to , leave

him there, actually . working for his keep, arid m the course of his 26 years' confinement he became very naturally institutionized. . ;.. . Fifteen years ago, the then superintendent of the home died, arid his wife informed the trustees "that Standfleld's menial tasks, were of such a degree, that if he- was . appointed assistant to her she* would/be able to carry on. But Standfleld was- not appointed and after that* he gradually drifted into a state of- almost coniplete inertia^ :The board of trustees some time later ceased to exist and the institution was taken over by the Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid. Board. Staridfield's position came under review and «he' was given the option of either working "m the laundry among machinery or leaving the institution which' had actually made him more unfitted, for manual labor than when he i had been admitted. • Staridfield's curious temperament entirely-unfitted him. for such a task as working among machinery — and this has been supported by medical te'stiriiony— so he left the institution. The outcast was assisted by friends and by the Salvation Army, but they .could not continue their benevolence indefinitely, so it was , arranged that Standfield should voluntarily surrender and be brought before the court on a .'charge of vagrancy to ; see what ..could possibly be done for him. Standfield pleaded guilty to the charge and evidence was given on his behalf by Captain- Anderson, who has charge of the men's shelter maintained by the Salvation Army.' , ■ Captain Anderson, who has had a long experience m this class of work, and whose field. 'of observation enables him to form very definite opinions on the character of those who take' advantage of the frugal living at the shelter, stated that he had Standfleld under observation for twelve months. The captain assures "N.Z. Truth. that Standfleld was a decent-living, hard-working man. . •, When he had first known him he was' under the iriipressipn that he was a loafer, but careful observation over a -period (satisfied him that Standfleld was incapable of manual work of any kind and had an abhorrence of machinery. , . . The man was not a "sponger" and on several occasion's had been practically starving. .■ Prior to the hearing of the case, Lawyer Claude ..--..

[White, counsel for Standfleld, ' served p, notice on the Otago Hospital. Board deirianding

the. complaint- 1 book from the institution to be produced. : '.: ' The only complaint m twenty-five years was the- solitary v occasion on which Standfleld was before the com-, mittea and given the option of working In the laundry or getting out. . The magistrate had no power, to make an- order for Standfield's return to the home and consequently the case was dismissed. The O'tagp Hospital and Charitable Aid Board declares that Standfleld was subject to fits and that four years ago he. became a centre of. disturbance m the home/ refusing orders arid inciting others to follow his example. It is significant, however, that the complaint: book does not bear this out, nor did any of the board's; paid officials from the home corroborate the allegations. The board has no penal authority over the inmates and depends on An atmosphere of * discipline among the inmates and the- tact. of. lts> officers. " Standfield is a man of more than ordina.ry intelligence' and possesses the power of expression. , r; His main' interest— outside the institution—concerned contributions to the local daily, press on national and international affairs; „'*.. His" writings bear the impression of a man widely read, a thinker, and one who has the courage of .his convictions. . He, is purely a psychological casefone who has lost his- punch and initiative and the power to' apply himself at this late" stage m life to manual Ayork. But, the Otago" Charitable Aid Board, after nursing the inari m its home for twenty-seven vyears, .endeavors to .establish the principle that a; man is air most a criminal, because he cannot dp manual work. /,'. . . - : What encouragement- was he ever -given to' offer Useful service to /the commiinity beyond, scrubbing * and polishing floors and .serving meals, at the benevolent ' .institution?; ; .;* V .''■'■'■■''■■ '.'"' .In effect,, the Otago Hospital Board chose ''■to keep him there— undoubtedly

Is This Charity?

Official Sympathy

a form ■of cheap labor— until their whims arid fancies decreed that there should be a clean-up somewhere, as local bodies are frequently inclined to d 0.% ' The statement that he refused orders arid incited .other inmates not to work was even denied by the board's previous manager. His long stay m .the institution undoubtedly killed any desire or ability he had to work .'as an industrious member of the community. His condition .of helplessness was due. to the actions of ' the Otago Hos.pital Board or its predecessors m allowing him to stay so long m the institution. ".-.-•' The point, however, remains: He was a fit subject for admission as a young man and, his claim" now should be ever so much stronger. The members of the Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid "■ Board displayed little human charity m their, treatment of this man's case — the unfortunate case of a human reject. It is apparent that there has been always, something wrong, either physically or mentally with Standfield, or he would not have been content to bury himself m the home as a young man of 27. ' :'v . • | One thing is certain: He is now incapable of working for- himself and the onus of responsibility is with those who have institutionized him, .even assuming that he was admitted as a deserving case. In any case, he must be maintained somewhere. . . Standfield says he will — as always — abide by the, discipline of,, the home. In the absence of , any substantiated charge of , misbehavior, the public must look elsewhere for the reason of this man's discharge from the home., The remarks of the magistrate •. on Standfield's case make very pointed reference to the board's actions., "The board, m its wisdom, has d$- — • 'Cided that it will

not receive Standfield back into the institution," be observed., ; "Whether. that

- aecisjon is evidence of strength or a confession of weakness seems to "riie open to question. "The board has control of — and is dealing with I—persons1 — persons physically and mentally infirm and should be able to exercise sufficient control over any such> person ... ' ■ j "While appreciating the board's . difficulty m dealing with a man of his mentality, I do not think it can , lightly absolve itself from responsibility. ;' : ;;,;' "The man's condition, to a certain extent, is due to the action of the board or its predecessors m allowing him to remain so long m the institution. "The question of how he is now" to be dealt with should not be cast on the police. .■■•'."., "He is not of the ' criminal class. His inability or disinclination^ to work has been fostered or strengthened by his long residence m the institution." The board has . not' explained its attitude m what is tantamount to the persecution of this man. ■ : .. - r Its members have not made clear their case apart from the statement that, he incited disorder, which is neither corroborated nor proved. The court has no power other than to commit, the man to an asylum or a gaol— and such action m this man's case would amount to a crime. In the meantime', Standfield's fare at the men's, shelter is being paid for by a well-known Dunedin- citizen whose human sympathy has been cultivated to a greater degree than that of the Otago Hospital Board. Standfield is an ageing man whose physical condition is inof suited ,to withstanding the rigors, of a southern winter. . . . His case demands early attention and m the interests of everyone concerned it should hot be pigeon-holed. Exasperated with the unnecessary delay, Standfield's friends asked, Lawyer ' Claude White to communicate with 'the Minister of Health, pointing out,' the urgency of the case and requesting the. Minister to use his endeavcirs to persuade the Otago Hospital Board* to re-admit Standfield to the benevolent institution. ' . The Minister replied, stating that the board had declined to admit Standfield to his former home and adding that He could do nothing further. That, certainly, was the legal position, but even the- Minister of Health had been ,, moved sympathetically to- --"■■'" . , wards Standfleld,

for, he urged the board to overlook any allegations against|him and do. the right thing.

. • iiut the Otago Hospital Board, principally through the : chairman 'of the benevolent committee (J. W. Scurr). and his henchman (Dr. Newlands) has declared war on Standfield. Only the dictum of the ratepayers— those who have to foot the bill— will bring these humans with uncharitable souls to account. Something must be done — and' done quickly. A few public-spirited citizens of Dunedin have subscribed sufficient funds to keep Standfield sustained m the meantime, but more is required. A public meeting is ' shortly to be called to consider this Unfortunate case. '■;■-• Apart frop any 1 - decision reached at that meeting, public sentiment is bound to. be recorded m no uncertain fashion when the next Hospitaf Board election comes; before the people who find the money to carry on the .cause of charity m Dunedin.