Mental Defectives and Sexual Offenders | Page 4

Officer, | Timaru. |Mr. William Reece,
member of the Prisons | Board. |Professor Chilton, Professor of Biology, | Canterbury
College. |Mr. C. T. Aschman, Headmaster, Normal School. |Miss Howlett, representing
the National | Council of Women and Women's Christian | Temperance Union. |Miss
Edwards, Manager of the Receiving Home, | Christchurch. |The Hon. G. W. Russell.
|Visit of inspection paid to Te Oranga Home, | Burwood. Christchurch, 11th July, |Dr.
Phillipps, School Medical Officer. 1924. |Professor Shelley, Professor of Education, |
Canterbury College. |Mr. A. Bissett, Juvenile Probation Officer, | Christchurch. |Visit of
inspection paid to Paparua Prison, | Templeton. Wellington, 15th July, |Colonel Bray,
Secretary, Men's Department, 1924. (Forenoon only) | Social Service Work, Salvation
Army. |Canon T. Feilden Taylor, Social Service | Department of Church of England.
|Professor Kirk, Professor of Biology, | Victoria College. |Mr. F. S. Shell, Juvenile
Probation Officer. Wellington, 16th July, |Dr. E. Fenwick, representing the British 1924.
(Forenoon only) | Medical Association, Wellington Branch. |Mrs. Brigadier Glover,
Salvation Army Prison | Officer and Probation Officer. |Miss Jean Begg. |Mr. R. W.
Bligh, White Cross League | representative. Wellington, 24th July, |Visit of inspection to
Point Halswell 1924. | Reformatory, Wellington. Levin, 5th August, 1924. |Visit of
inspection to Boys' Training Farm, | Weraroa. Nelson, 22nd August, |Dr. Gray,
Superintendent, Mental Hospital, 1924. | Nelson. |Visit of inspection to Special School
for | Girls, Richmond. |Visit of inspection to Mental Hospital, | Stoke. |Visit of inspection
to Mental Hospital, | Nelson. Wellington, 9th |Consideration of report. September, 1924. |
(Forenoon only) | 12th September, 1924. | " 15th September, 1924. | " (Afternoon only) |
16th September, 1924. | " (Afternoon only) | 22nd September, 1924. | " (Afternoon only) |
6th October, 1924. | " (Forenoon only) | 13th October, 1924. | " (Forenoon only) | 22nd
October, 1924. | " (Forenoon only) | 24th October, 1924. | " 28th October, 1924. | "
(Forenoon only) | 29th October, 1924. | " (Forenoon only) | 5th November, 1924. | "
(Forenoon only) |
It will thus be seen that, apart from time spent in travelling, the Committee have met on
thirty-five days and have heard ninety-two witnesses in person.
The Committee would like to express their thanks to the witnesses, many of whom went
to considerable trouble to collect information and prepare evidence. They are especially
grateful to the British Medical Association for its willing co-operation and assistance; to
the large number of members of the medical profession throughout the Dominion who
responded to the Committee's request for information; to the authorities overseas for their
response to requests for information; and to many other persons who by means of
correspondence and literature have placed at the Committee's disposal a large amount of
information which has been of material assistance in the investigation; also to the various
Hospital Boards throughout the Dominion who so willingly placed their Boardrooms at
the disposal of the Committee.
Sir George Newman, the Chief Medical Officer of the Board of Education and the
Ministry of Health, England, very courteously supplied the Committee with a valuable

memorandum on the care of mental defectives in England and Wales, while the Secretary
of State for the United States, through the good offices of the American Consul-General,
Mr. Edwin N. Gunsaulus, kindly forwarded information supplied by the United States
Public Health Service regarding the legislation and regulations in force in various States
where sterilization for eugenical purposes has been legalized.
Information of great value and interest has also been received from Dr. E. S. Morris,
Director of Health, Tasmania; from Dr. Helen MacMurchy, Department of Health,
Ottawa; and from Dr. Eric Clarke, Toronto, Assistant Medical Director, Canadian
National Conference for Mental Hygiene.
The Committee further wish to make special mention of the services rendered by the
Secretary, Mr. J. W. Buchanan, whose work has been very heavy owing to the number of
witnesses examined and the extent of ground covered in a comparatively short time. This
would not have been possible but for the complete arrangements made by Mr. Buchanan,
and the ability and energy which he showed generally in the discharge of his duties left
nothing to be desired.
SECTION 2.--TWO DISTINCT QUESTIONS.
Before proceeding to the subject-matter of the Committee's investigations and the
conclusions arrived at it is necessary to point out as clearly and emphatically as possible
that the questions submitted to the Committee were entirely separate and distinct from
each other. It is true that a certain proportion of mental defectives show their lack of
self-control in regard to sex instincts and functions as in other respects. This is
particularly the case with mentally defective girls, and constitutes one of the chief
difficulties in dealing with them satisfactorily. Some of this class find their way into
prison on account of