The Feeble-Minded: A Ruri-Decanal Conference was held at Bourne on the 12th inst. Canon Layng presided … (list of attendees) … Canon said they all felt greatly indebted to Mrs. Pinsent, who was a member of the Royal Commission, for coming amongst them that afternoon to give them the benefit of her views on “The Care and Control of the Feeble Minded.” — Mrs. Pinsent, who is also a member of the Birmingham City Council, dealt exhaustively with the subject of the certifiable insane. There were 133,000 at present in asylums, all of whom were well and properly looked after, either at the expense of their friends or the Local Boards Guardians. There 150,000 mentally deficient persons who could not be classified as lunatics, a term which Mrs. Pinsent contended was misused. These were allowed to mix with other people, although quite incapable of managing their own affairs. Included in this 150,000 were some 45,000 children that were dealt with under the Elementary Education Defective and Epileptic Children Act, but of this number only 12,000 were in any way dealt with at the critical ages following the termination of their school days. The hereditary principle in mentally deficient persons tended to make criminals. In one instance a man had been convicted 19 times before he reached the age of 25 years, and 75 per cent of the cases of arson were committed by persons who were mentally deficient: Legislation should be passed compelling these persons to be confined in colonies. The Mental Deficiency Bill of the Government, she was of opinion, would before it had been in working 50 years have materially reduced if not altogether stamped out idiocy. Mrs. Pinsent hoped everyone present would do their best to get this matter taken up. — Canon Layng said he felt sure that clergymen, Magistrates, and Boards Guardians would all agree with the remarks of Mrs. Pinsent, and he complimented that lady on the able manner in which she had dealt with the subject. … …
[see similar Lincolnshire Echo: Friday 13th December 1912]
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.
Referenced
GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949