Women’s Column: Mrs. Pinsent, a member of the Commission on the Care of the Feeble-Minded, made a very telling speech Wednesday morning at the meeting in the Examination Hall. Mrs. Pinsent’s article on this subject in the “Nineteenth Century” a short time back created a deep impression. No one knows the sad subject more thoroughly than she does, and its vast national importance was brought home to every member the large audience when she said that unless something was done to secure a better heredity for the coming generations all the altruistic feelings which we so rightly … might tend to the perpetuation the very condition of things which we so rightly condemned. I was rather surprised that the papers and discussion on this question kept so far from the other great question which is closely interwoven with this one — the question of drunkenness and the drink traffic. When it is proved beyond question that nearly 50 per cent of the children in the schools for the feeble-minded are the offspring of drunken parents, it would appear that one obvious remedy for the evil is to be found in drastic temperance reform.
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