The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-01-26

must be established, n the hygiene
Of the farm home must receive the
same attention as that of the city
home. Outlying districts without
available medical nursing services
can be provided for by the state
health departments. The motor
truck, laboratory, roentgen-ray plant,
surgical and medical equipment as
used in France are just as available
for the needs of our people. People
are watching more closely the distri-
button of necessary government ex-
penditures. They note and appreciate
the fact that in 1920 we srent 92.6
cents of each dollar Of on" taxation
10 pay Ihr cost of past wars n to
prepare for future wars, and that out
of the small remainder only 1.3 cents
was used to promote u national
health and to aid in education, re-
search and general development.
which sc largely contribute to our
general efficiency and happiness.
We are a Heterogeneous body Of
people with a primary good founda-
ton, but relaxed immigration laws
have brought to us, with some good,
much of the scum Of the earth, re-
sulting in the exploitation of labor by
large concerns. Greater restrictions
must be placed on immigrants; tests
for mental efficiency should be car
ried out as they are TO- for sore
eyes, and the examination must be
given in the immigrants own country.
Such mental tests as have been made
in scattered areas of u country have
shown that We were slipping back
wards in mental ability. 1t is Of the
greatest interest and is indeed nee
essary that as a nation we take recog-
milton of u mental state by a con
sideration of the report of the exam
ination of nearly two million of our
soldiers. These tests showed that
class A was composed of 5 per cent
Of persons with superior minds who
were proved by tests to be of a mental
age of eighteen years or more; class
B constitutes 10 per cent of persons
with a mental age of sixteen to eigh-
teen years; these Is per cent of our
superior people give less evidence to
cohesion of coordinate work than do
the lower classes. They neither organ
ize nor submit to leadership; their vot-
ing largely depends On the weather;
and they are full of criticism, yet make
little personal effort TO improve on
ditions. From them, however. we
national benefit. Our democracy rests
on the So per cent of persons in
classes c plus, c, AMI C minus, who
are of average intelligence This in.
cludes Is per cen of persons in class
C plus (mental age fourteen t? sixteen
years., rs per CEN of perso Is in class
G. (nental age thirteen to fourteen
years.. and 20 per cent of persons in
class c minus (mental age el4y,. 10
thirteen years.) In the final judg-
ment these persons may he consid-
cred the best friends of progress, and
while they must be taught they are
less influenced by prejudices and
more receptive to innovations. Our
Of persons in class d (mertal age nine
to eleven years. in which there are
many morons who are exceedingly
prolific, and persons with minds Of
children are probably more trouble
some than the 7 per cen of the popu-
lation in class D minus (mental age
seven to nine years., many of whom
should be in institutions. This % per
cent OF persons are uneducated in
greater part and evidence little judg-
ment if educated at all. Like chill
dren they love organizers and are
easily swayed by leaders; they form
the dangerous elements of mobs, at
times even destroying their own in
~terests. These latter groups, who
have learned of the ease Of taking
human life, have increased the Grim
inal class, developing the present
manifest wave of crime throughout
our country. Such an analysis of our
people explains the rapid growth of
our institutions for the feeble minded
and insane.
The press has become a great
power in the general education of our
people and, for the most part, the
newspapers and magazines are conduc-
ted with the greatest wisdom. The
editors should realize the Importance
of the press in the development of
our national life. In considering the
mentality of our people it is distress
ing to note the special consideration
the press is giving to the salacious
details of divorce proceedings, of mar.
ital insists, and to full descriptions of
all kinds of crime with pictures Of the
murderer and victim, and detailed
drawings of the scene. There is
rarely sufficient news of educational
interests or importance to call for an
extra edition, unless it can be sold on
the basis of information concerning
crime. This leads US to wonder to
persons of what mental age our edi-