THE HALF-WAY HOUSE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1922, Page 8

THE HALF-WAY HOUSE.

CASE OF A DESTITUTE GIRL. SENT TO THE HOSPITAL. “This is one of those cases which further emphasises the need of a halfway house on the way towards the lunatic asylum,” said Mr. A. M. Mowlem, at the Magistrate’s Court at New Plymouth yesterday morning, when Maggie Lamb appeared on remand lon a charge of being an idle and disI orderly person with insufficient visible I means of support. The accused was ari rested at Opunake ten days previously, i and the improvement she had since made in her mental and physical coni' dition through regular and sufficient ' meals and treatment, was commented ion by the Magistrate. The accused’s case was neither one for a gaol nor for a lunatic asyluu, His Worship added. As the accused stood in the dock she presented a pathetic of the type often described as not quite “all there.” ‘ Senior-Sergeant McCrorie intimated I that he had consulted the general man- ■ ager of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board (Mr. E. Holden) regarding the accused. The Senior-Ser-geant- suggested that she might be sent to the Old People’s Home, where she could be properly looked after. Mr. F. E. Wilson (the Mayor) advised His Worship that he also had gone into the accused’s and the opinion of the doctors who had examined her was that she was not a. case for a lunatic asylum. With treatment in a hospital or* the Home she would improve, and probably become better. The difficulty was that the Court could not commit her Io the Old People’s Home, but ne suggested that accused might be ' convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called the condition that she remained in the Home.

There’ was no question that some restraint must bo kept- on her to ensure that she would not run away. The position aS explained by Mr. Eolden was that, if a person became absolutely destitute, it was the duty of bis board to look after the case, but th? Old People’s Home could not take a mental defective, which was a case for treatment in the hospital. On his suggestion arrangements wore made for the accused to he examined again, and he later reported that Dr. Wade had ex;amined the girl.* and recommended that she bo admitted to the hospital for observation and treatment. “T would like to point out.” said Mr. Holden to the Magistrate, “that if the accused is sent to the hospital, she is not imprisoned there, and. while the slaff will do everything possible to look after her. we oannot guarantee to keep her from going away and cannot accept the responsibility for her.” “That is the difficulty,” remarked Mr Mowlem. “I must be able to keep a hold on her. and she will therefore he convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon any tiipe within three months. If accused remains in the hospital she will not be called upon,” he added.