WHAT IS TO BE DONE? 105 



of their delinquencies, which careful psychological tests 

 have now determined to be feeble-mindedness. 



The second difficulty is that of caring for this large 

 army of people. At the lowest estimates of the number 

 needing care, we in the United States are at present 

 caring for approximately one tenth of the estimated 

 number of our mental defectives. Yet many of our 

 States think that they are now being over-taxed for the 

 care of these people, so that it is with great difficulty 

 that legislatures can be induced to appropriate money 

 enough to care for those already in institutions. It 

 is impossible to entertain the thought of caring for ten 

 times as many. Some other method must be devised 

 for dealing with the difficulty. 



Before considering any other method, the writer 

 would insist that segregation and colonization is not 

 by any means as hopeless a plan as it may seem to those 

 who look only at the immediate increase in the tax rate. 

 If such colonies were provided in sufficient number to 

 take care of all the distinctly feeble-minded cases in 

 the community, they would very largely take the place 

 of our present almshouses and prisons, and they would 

 greatly decrease the number in our insane hospitals. 

 Such colonies would save an annual loss in property 

 and life, due to the action of these irresponsible people, 



