CAUTIOUS DOCUMENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 414, 24 July 1928, Page 8

CAUTIOUS DOCUMENT

MENTAL DEFECTIVES B! SOCIAL WORKERS’ SUPPq Rt

“A very cautious doeum,„. is the medical profession's ion of the Mental Defective, 0 ?* - endment Bill, now befo” House of Representatives, acr ing to Dr. Hilda Northcroft. *** In a lecture before the AackW branch of the National Coonca ' 5 Women last evening. Dr. NortW 1 pointed out that the patients’ n-T 1 "ere safeguarded in every way. The Bill would do away ?- the unnecessary and distress* j lay, she said, and would lea T e patient free from the stigma of * Court.

As regards the proposed Board Control, it seemed that the person, considered was a very represent*, and fair one. One of the duties of this would be the keeping of a resist containing the names of all of defectives. A new class among these would * what could be termed, the “socuf defective.” These were people were perfectly capable mentally | who suffered from some paniesh“kink” such as kleptomania. BACKWARD CHILDREN The register would also coataia ft, names of all those school ohildr«Who were retardate in their woAll these names were to be sent • by the Director-General of Edncstie** and the children so registered wot", be investigated by skilled and cac--teut persons. This was not in any wj. branding the children, who would then be helped in every way poj sible. The majority of these so-called a tardate children were not mealuiv j. fective in any way, but were hack.,owing to numerous changes of sebo and late starting, etc. Speaking of those whose n«-. would be registered, Dr. Northernsaid that when circumstances waranted it an appeal to have the ran removed would be given every oov sirleration. It was the sterilisation clause tha; appeared to be worrying people, cos tinued Dr. Northcroft. In this particular instance the patient was amp; safeguarded, consent having to t, obtained before the operation coni, be performed. To the medical mind it was a “fee careful and valuable piece of legist tion” based on investigation and ft Gray’s report, and could not possibii lead to harm. An expression of opinion was give, by the various social workers prese including Sister Hannah, Mrs. aif,, Kidd. Miss Jean Begg, Miss Newtoi and Miss Jackson, who all announce* that they strongly supported the EL A resolution was passed congrau lating the Government upon the Bu. and expressing the hope that it ml go through Parliament substantial], unaltered. This is to be sent to ft* Dominion president, to be forwarded to the Government.