Ruri-Decanal Conference at Bourne: On Thursday afternoon a ruri-decanal conference was held in the North Street School Room, when Canon Lang presided: … … Canon Layng, in introducing Mrs. Pinsent, said they all felt very greatly indebted to that lady, who was a member of the Royal Commission, for coming amongst them that afternoon to give them the benefits of her views on “The Care and Control of the Feeble-Minded.” The Chairman also referred to the fact that Mrs. Pinsent was a member of Birmingham City Connell. In the course of her remarks, Mr. Pinsent dealt exclusively 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 the friends of the patients, or the local Boards of Guardians. There were, according to statistics which were brought before the Royal Commission, 150,000 mentally deficient persons who could not be classified as lunatics, a term which Mrs. Pinsent contended was misused. These mentally deficient persons were allowed to mix with other people, quite incapable of managing their own affairs. Included in this were some 45,000 children, who were dealt with under the Elementary Education (Defective and Epileptic Children) Act, but of this number only 12,000 were in any way looked after the critical ages following the termination of their Schooldays. At Birmingham, which came under her personal survey, there were only five per cent, of mentally deficient people who earned 10s. or more per week; nineteen per cent, who for a time got casual employment, but drifted into the Workhouse by the time they reached the ages of thirty thirty-six. The remainder eventually became parents. The hereditary principle in mentally deficient persons tended to make criminals. With such persons, to see was to take, and to hate was to strike, whilst they boasted of their crimes rather than saw their defects. Mrs. Pinsent urged that legislation should be passed compelling these persons to be confined in colonies, and strongly supported the Mental Deficiency Bill of the Government. In answer to questions, she stated that the Bill provided for the granting of certificates for taking charge of persons who were feeble-minded, it provided what she considered an adequate grant for working the Act, and she was of opinion that before it had been in working fifty years it would have materially reduced, if not altogether stamped out, idiocy. Mrs. Pinsent referred to “a good man” who, some three hundred years ago, prayed that the Good God who had given life, but no understanding, would help to care for the such, and Mrs. Pinsent was not sure that that man did not better understand the needs of these poor persons than the Christian England of to-day, which still neglected, punished, and imprisoned these persons for deeds for which they should not be held responsible. She expressed the hope that all those present would do their best to get this matter up, and law passed quickly as possible on the lines of the Bill the present Government. —Canon Layng said he felt sure that clergymen, magistrates, and members of the Boards of Guardians who were present would all agree with the remarks of Mrs. Pinsent and 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