Imbeciles as Citizens: Present System said to be Philanthropic Lunacy: National Danger: the conference at the Guildhall to consider the question of the feeble-minded yesterday adopted with unanimity a resolution calling upon Parliament to grant power of detention of feeble-minded persons whose liberty is likely to be harmful to themselves and the community … … The impossibility of looking after feeble-minded children when they leave the special schools was emphasised by Mrs. Hume Pinsent. Two of her own cases at Birmingham have, in spite of her visits drifted into the police court. One was that of a boy who committed a motiveless robbery and was sent to gaol; the other that of girl who has a feeble-minded mother with whom she fights, and “whom she will probably kill.” “We can at present do nothing in these individual cases,” said Mrs. Pinsent, “but we should lose no opportunity of demonstrating the inhuman, absurd, and uneconomical methods of society which spends money on police supervision and workhouse accommodation for the feeble-minded, who, if working in industrial colonies, could be made nearly self-supporting.” ……
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