The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-12

stitutions for them In this county
there are not nearly enough in
situations to go around, and its expert
ence is the experience of lany coun-
ties all over the United States The ma
jority of the mentaH detectives inveSt
gated, who were living in institutions,
were not receiving the kind of training
which they needed. Only twelve of
the county were confined in an institu-
ton for the feebIe-minded- The state
was forced to take a Ind in these
cases because the children were un-
usually vicious and constituted an
ever-growing menace to society.
Unfortunate Conditions Prevail
On the other hand. thirty-two men
tai detectives were being cared for in
the State Hospital for the Insane. Here
they cannot possibly receive the
proper instruction, and they are tax
ing up space in an institution which
is already oVercrowded with patients
who have a right to be there because
they are insane. The investigation
made two years ago in the District of
Columbia revealed the same unfor-
tunate conditions. Here, too, the gov
eminent hospital for the insane had
because no appropriate institution was
availa BILE One of the feeble-minded
inmates was a woman then about ~
years of age. She had been living IN
the INSTITUTION ever SINCE SIlS WAS 1
wears old. This woman" says the
district report. has been provided
with shelter and care and protected
from helpless motherhood that would
have involved the community IN I'M
ending expense. On the other hand,
she has been unnecessarily subjected
to the restraint and conditions sur
rounding the insane
Thus the facts uncovered by the in
vestigations of the Children's Bureau
are themselves an answer to that ques-
ton concerning mental detectives
which has long been disturbing the
government. There is no doubt but
that mental deficiency is increasing
1t will go on increasing as long as
feeble-minded persons are permitted
to breed another generation For, as
has been shown by the bureaus study.
feeble nlindedness in most cases is a
direct inheritance from parents.
| Moreover. the mental defective is one
of the greatest menaces to every COM
munity. 1t is he who fills the benches
of the juvenile courts; it is he who
retards the progress of the public
! schools. and it is he who occupies
most of the space in prisons.
In an institution of his own, where
he is taught useful occupations and
t educated as far as possible, he gets
along very well. He may even be
taught to become self-supporting.
TSeblS-Il1HQeO DONS nave learned TO
become farm laborers under the
proper supervision. and girls have
learned to cook and to be dressmak-
ers. 1t is evident that this is much
cheaper to the state than to pay the
cost of feeble-minded viciousness.
Many states already have taken GER
/ tain preventive measures in this direc-
ton in the way of training schools
and homes for mental detectives, but
/ the records show that there are not
/ enough of them.
/ Questions on the above or any sub
! ject upon which the reader desires in
forms ton should be addressed the To-
peka State Journal Information Bu-
reau. Frederic ]. Haskin, Director,
| Washington. D. c., with 2-cent STAMP
enclosed for reply