Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-02-04
FOR THE CARE OF
DEFECTIVE CHILDREN
MARY Roberts COOLIDGE, Fin. o.. prcsi.
dent California Civic Leaguc)

The Womcn's Legislative council
has chosen as one of three subjects
TO he brought before the legislature
al this session. the extension of pro-
visions for the feeble minded through
ont the state. Two years ago a COM
mittec OF the civic league. composed
of specialists in this field. made Il re-
port and proposed q measure which
was adopted bye the woman's council
and which became a law. This
measure established an educational
director at Eldredse--the only insti~
tuition for the feeble minded in the
state-and give 4 small appropriation
with which 10 develop a system of vo
cational training.
However. desirable this small ad.
vance was obviously inadequate 70
The needs of the situation. A careful
survey OF q single section gave an
estimate of four detectives per thous-
and Northumberland the same as
the estimate for the whole country--a
total for the state of $500 Less than
400 of these are in institutions for
the defective; about 400 are in county
hospitals where no special training or
care is given; leaving at least 1000
at large from whom the delinquent
and pauper classes are constantly be-
ing recruited. Moreover. the adult
feeble minded outside of institutions
are adding their offspring both
legitimate and illcgitimatc to the pop
ulation.N
The four main classes Of detectives
are; idiots, who never deI elop beyond
the mental age of two Years; imbe-
Giles, who only reach seven years Of
mental age: morOns. who attain a
mental age of seven &c twelve years;
and psychological defoctives-that Is,
defective in will. character feelings.
senses or morals. Institutional care
Is granted to be necessary for IDIOTS.
imheCiles and low grade morons: but
1t is not generally known that the
higher grade morons are peculiarly
dangerous TO society because they APP
pear 50 nearly like the normal person.
They often have bright minds but
their Irregularities in morals and in
Will-pOwer cause them to be set down
as very pad children or wild and Wei
Gus, when they are, in fact, irreSpon-
Sibly feeble minded. This class gen
orally end in poor houses. reformator-
les. prisons and homes for drunkardS
For this class custodial care. and
training of a kind to make them at
least partially self-supporting in in
stitutional colonies, is absolutely nee
Sonoma county has now a waiting
list of 237. not to mention thousa nds
of others who are in need of instu-
tlOnal care. For example: girl
whose mental age is eight years. will
shortly be discharged from an orphan
asylum because she is mentally incom-
petent to protect herself
The Womens Legislative council
proposes to offer to the legislature Il
measure providing for a complete in
stitutioq for all classes of detectives tn
be established in the southern part
OF the state: to sc worked out on
the unit cottage system and with
special reference to the moron class
After the initial buildings are put up
il is proposed that the bows shall
get their training in building the cot
tages.
The appropriation which this bill
should carry must be sufficient To
provide a site which has loG inches Of
water already developed. arabic land
enough to give variety of occupations
and to produce food for the inmates.