H.—3la,

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(12.) The Committee recommend the establishment of farm or industrial colonies where feeble-minded or delinquent persons who are custodial cases may be usefully and, as far as possible, profitably employed, and where they may receive the care and protection required by their condition. (13.) In regard to sterilization, the Committee find that the operation of vasectomy in men can be carried out under local anaesthesia, and is free from risk. The analogous operation of salpingectomy in women is an abdominal operation, but the risk is not considered serious. These operations are effective in preventing procreation, but do not otherwise interfere with the sexual powers of the patient. In the case of persons suffering from recurrent insanity or idiopathic epilepsy, high-grade morons, and others who in the interests of themselves and of society ought not to be allowed to reproduce, but who do not for other reasons require custodial care, it is desirable that the operation of sterilization should be considered by the Eugenic Board. (14.) The Committee recommends that the Eugenic Board should be given the power in suitable cases to make sterilization a condition of release from any of the institutions under the charge of the Department of Mental Hospitals, or removal of their names from the register on probation, but that in no case should the operation be performed without the consent of parents or guardians of the persons concerned. (15.) The Committee consider that the persons so operated upon and liberated should be released on probation and kept under supervision for a reasonable period, and that they should be returned to institutional care if found to be leading an immoral life, or unable to support themselves, or for any other reason which the Eugenic Board may consider sufficient. (16.) The Committee consider that marriage with any registered person should be made illegal, and that it should be an indictable offence for any person to have carnal knowledge of any registered person. It should also be provided that any parent or guardian who facilitates or negligently allows any registered person to have carnal knowledge of another person shall be guilty of an indictable offence. (17.) In view of the fact that feeble-minded persons and others likely to become a burden on the community have in the past been introduced from overseas, the Committee recommend that, in addition to the precautions already taken in regard to assisted immigrants, inquiry should be made into the family history, especially as to whether it discloses any cases of insanity, epilepsy, or feeble-mindedness, and that applicants unable to produce satisfactory evidence on this point should be excluded. The Committee are further of the opinion that closer supervision should be exercised over persons who come as ordinary passengers with the intention of remaining in the Dominion. PART III.—SEXUAL OFFENDERS. Section 1. —Scope and Origin of the Inquiry. The second section of the order of reference requires the Committee " To inquire and report as to the necessity for the care and treatment of mental degenerates and persons charged with sexual offences, and to recommend forms of treatment for the various types of cases." The Committee's finding and recommendation in regard to the " care and treatment of mental degenerates " who have not been charged with criminal oSences are embodied in the first part of this report. The origin of the inquiry, in so far as it concerns the care and treatment of mental degenerates and sexual offenders who appear before the Courts, is to be found in the resolution of the Prisons Board first appearing in their annual report for the year 1920 and repeated in their reports for 1921 and 1922. The resolution is as follows :— " Whereas an increasing number of sexual offences has been the subject of frequent and serious judicial comment, especially in cases where young children were the victims, or the very serious nature of the charge connoted a perversion dangerous to the moral well-being of society ; and, as the experience of the Board in dealing with prisoners of this class accords, as far as it goes, with the now generally accepted opinion that, with certain exceptions, persons committing unnatural offences labour under physical disease or disability, or mental deficiency or disorder, or both, which accounts for the sexual perversion and the morbid character of the offence charged : It is resolved by the Prisons Board strongly to recommend to the Government an amendment of the Crimes Act under which such offenders could be dealt with scientifically — " (1.) Before sentence is pronounced, by furnishing expert medical or surgical reports or evidence : " (2.) By sanctioning an indeterminate sentence : " (3.) By segregating persons so sentenced and subjecting them, under proper safeguards, to any medical or surgical treatment which may be deemed necessary or expedient either for their own good or in the public interest." The repeated occurrence of gross offences of the character described by the Prisons Board, both before and since the Committee commenced its sittings, has focussed public attention more strongly