252 



The Review of Reviews, 



March SO, 1906. 



^' 



\ 



Stinm^'2 



Faith or Trust. 



5^- 

 Sweet. 



Sour. ll'liolos. 



THE SPEECH OF THE DEAF 



the payment they would receive. As bookkeepers, 

 ck-rks, draughtsmen, etc.. their services could be 

 utilised with advantage t(j themselves and benefit 

 to the State. Of course, somebody with small sym- 

 pathies would say that they would push others out ; 

 but if the State rec^ognised proper principles, it 

 should say to the man with all his senses, '" Stand 

 aside from this work, and do other work which 

 thf deaf mute cannot do." Moreover, if the 

 altruistic spirit, which only can make a success 

 of the new social order which is springing up, 

 were allowed to rule, it would insistently say. 

 " Let every man in possession of all his senses, 

 and who can find employment in other avenues, 

 stand aside, that those who are stricken may 

 support themselves with more ease, honour and 

 credit." This last, be it understood, they do now, 

 but they fight against very hard conditions, and 

 nothing could be conceived in the development of 

 a State finer than a determination bv a Govern- 

 ment to employ all those who are bereft of any of 

 their powers. Moreover, the State would be repaid 

 a thousand fold, for a j)erson handicap|)ed by nature 

 is a double burden to it, for he not only is in need, 

 but requires sup>er\'ision. Take up the question of 

 State provision for the deaf mute, all Governments 

 must soon do. For instance, even as regards chil- 



dren, it is estimated chat in Victoria alone seventy 

 children are at the present moment growing up 

 without education. Think what this means ! Unless 

 taken in hand and trained, they must be a burden 

 to the State all through their lives. More than that, 

 all their best faculties will remain undeveloped, and 

 the life must be a purely animal one. What a ter- 

 rible menace such uneducated, luitrained persons, 

 each with the power of propagating his kind, may 

 be to a State no one can measure! In its own in- 

 terests, apart altogether from any philanthropy, the 

 State should rise to its responsibilities and under- 

 take the work. Xo class is more deserving of as- 

 sistance. Deaf mutes are cut off from most of the 

 educational privileges that normal children can gain. 



THE HOPE OF THE FUTURE. 



One is brightened at the thought of the days 

 that are coming. It is no small thing that even 

 now so much is subscribed freely by the public for 

 the help of the deaf and dumb. Theirs is an appeal 

 which generally needs no pressing. The sight of 

 those in full possession of other powers, able to en- 

 joy to the full the sight of the world and of the 

 things in it nearest and dearest to them, throbbing 

 and thrilling with nervous energy like other human 

 beings, but unable to express it in speech, strikes a 



