Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-01-22
p.C.HEADSFAVOR
!. COLONY HERE FOR
THE WEAK MINDED
Send House District Commit
tee Endorsement of Tink-
ham Measure.

The Commissioners today sent to
the House District committee IA
vorable report on the Tinkham bill
for the establishment of colony for
feeble-minded persons in the District.
The report calls attention to the
fact that a census in 1915 revealed
the presence in the city of 79S per-
sons who were definitely feeble mind
ed. OF this number 42S were at large
in the community, 249 were in insti-
tutions not designed for their care.
while 81 were in training schools Tor
the feeble minded in other cities.
The Commissioners say this census
was by no means complete. as those
cover cases so evident as to be no
ticeable in the home or school
May Ne ms Many rs 1000.
1T is believed by those who have
made a study of the question: the
Commissioners tell Congress. that
there are probably about as many of
the feeble-minded as of the insane
In the community. and the District of
Columbia has in the hospital for the
insane 1900 persons"
The bill provides for the purchase
OF spacious tract of cheap land out
side the District. as was done in build
ing the workhouse at OccoQuan. and
'ilS cicttioH thereon Oh a settlement
of small cottages. The colony would
he known as the Columbia Training
School.
The bill. for the first time, defines
what shall be construed as feeble
mindedness in the District of Column
bia and provides for judicial process
in committing persons to the insti-
tuition.
Point to the Needs.
= AS TO the mead for MIA thu Soa
ble-minded in a training school, the
Commissioners say:
THE reasons for segregating this
class of detectives have been fire.
quently pointed out, and no argument
is needed to emphasize the Importance
of the matter. Such detectives are a
burden upon the family, often drag
ging the poorer families below the
line of self-support. They are a
handicap to the school system and
seriously interfere with the training
OF other children. But, worst of all,
they are a serious menace to society,
because they are prolific and their on
spring is almost certain to be feeble
minded. Studies made in numerous
communities have shown again and
family in few geHerations has
come a whole community of feeble.
minded persons.
"It is. therefore. of the greatest i'm
portance that these people should be
segregated in order that they may not
reproduce their kind. 1t is probable that
no other public need is SO generally
recognized as that Of making proper
provision for the feeble-minded. Social
workers. including settlement workers,
institution officials. probation officers.
school teachers. district nurses and
others. for years have complained of
the lack Of proper care for this class
;of persons Many Of the feeble-mind-
ed are not only a serious burden in the
family, but as delinquents and crimi-
nails they occupy much Of the time of
the police department., they help fill the
workhouse and Jail. and they and their
offsprings are an increasingly heavy
burden upon the community.
See Chance to Educate.
Many Of the higher grade feeble
minded persons can be educated to
such an extent as to be useful in sim
pie occupations. and the proposed biIf
provides for the establishment of a
colony where there will be large OBJ
portunities for employment on farm
and garden, and where the mores6fnl<
pie forms Of Industrial activit
1T is proposed that the ,rolony
shall be established outside of the
District of Columbia, because It is
not possible to secure sufficiently
large tract Of land at anything like
reasonable cost within the District.
The precedent has already been es-
tablished for locating institutions
outside the confines Of the District
in the cases of the workhouse and
reformatory. These institutions are
located in Virginia, about TWENTY-FIVE
miles from Washington. Land was
purchased. much of it at less than
$40 per acre.
The bill affords ample protection
TO the rights of the individual and
at the same time guards the rights of
the community.
Suggest One Important Change.
AS to the text of the bill. the Com
missioners suggest only one important
change. In sections five and six. pro
viding the method of control Of the
proposed institution, they believe that
more satisfactory results are obtained
when superintendent is appointed di-
rectly by them without an Intervening
board. They believe that a board Of
interested citizens to visit the institu-
ton and advise the Commissioners
would be helpful, and they recommend
that the bill be amended so as to pro-
vide for such board Of visitors, but that
the control and management Of the
school be under the immediate direction
of the Commissioners
The bill defines feeble mindedness
and would therefore recognize in our
statutes for the first time class of
persons definitely known to the law as
feeble minded. The bill was carefully
drawn by committee of interested
citizens. and follows in large degree
the statute of Illinois, which was en-
acted in 1915 and has therefore been
operative for period of four years, and,
so far as We are advised. with satisfac-
tory results