The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-06-10
ALEXANDER JOHNSON

Studies of the mental defective are setting to be among the most fre- quent and serious of social economic efforts: Made by state boards or commissions as in New York, Penn sylvaniay New Jersey, Michigan, New Hampshire. Virginia and other states; or by city departments of edu-- cation in Cleveland and elsewhere, or by voluntary agencies, like the Ju- venile Protective Association of Chi cago, the results are painfully alike.
 From everywhere comes the same story; that feeblemindedness is chief, if not the chief cause of vice, misery and delinquency; that the present public provision for the de- fective is utterly inadequate; that nothing but drastic action for the prevention of propagation and for the care and control of the present gem eration can avert grave disaster from the nation.
 Time to Act.
 The cumulative evidence in the case of the Nation versus the Feeble minded which these numerous studies are piling ups must surely convince the most hesitating and doubtful of our statesmen that the time for some comprehensive action has arrived.
 The Juvenile Protective Association of Chicago, has been at it's benefi- cent work for seven years. It's pur- pose is to prevent juvenile vice and delinquency. It has accomplished untold good by it's fine organization and vigorous action. Much of it's work has been in connection with the Juvenile Court and numerous cases have been dealt with in which mental defect was main factor. Off, ten this meant that a. defective child, or a childish adult, has been the easy victim of unscrupuIous people. In 1+J r, moral twist or obtuseness which has made tn edefective a moral menace to other children.
 So great a part. did mental defect play in the problems that came to the association that it seemed worth while to undertake a study of the mentally defective children in Chica- go. The study was begun in Janu- ary, 1914, the plan including a gem eraI inquiry covering the whole city and an intensive study of several school districts.
 The association has just published l a report on the subject which is a most valuable public document. It shows, 4,455 actually recorded cases l in the city and makes the very con servative estimate of 1.5O0 more who O have not been found.
 1 5000 Predetermined. Considering all ,the figures given and the sources of information used, l the probability is that the estimate | of 5000 cases is very much below l the actual number. which we should be inclined to put at not fewer than 5000 of all ages
 The report studies the Subnormal School Rooms; the State School and Colony; the Need of Institutional | Provision; and the Segregation o1 Predetermined Women. The study was made in much detail and the his tories of many scores of illustrative cases are given.
 After considering the suggestions o1
 many experts who were called on fol advice, the report summarizes the needs of the situation as follows:
 1. SubnoI1naI children in the pub lie schOols.-Separate and specialized | instruction for retarded children an6 for subnormal children. A follow-uI system for the children after lea.vin1 the school rooms. Special trainins for teachers of subnorma1 children.
 2. Institutional Needs.-A new in