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are of great interest because of the light they throw upon the essential 

 relations of feeble-inindedness to delinquency, and many more yet must 

 be recorded before the subject will he fully understood. 



What shall we do with these feeble-minded and delinquent boys? It 

 is the duty of society to develop their scant capacities and prepare them 

 for things they will be able to do, then to surround them with an environ- 

 ment in which they will be able to do their part and thus get the greatest 

 happiness out of their narrow lives, while society is freed from the menace. 



There has been for some time a movement on foot in several States 

 looking toward the establishment of state institutions for defective 

 delinquents where they may be given permanent custodial care. Mas- 

 sachusetts now has such a law. and in New York the Governor last 

 year vetoed a similar bill. Our reformatories are not feeble-minded in- 

 stitutions and can not hold these hoys indefinitely. Our feeble-minded 

 institutions have more than they can do with a lower class and are not 

 suited to the requirements of these. In an institution such as suggested, 

 provision could be made for the effective development of the abilities of 

 each one. Each could be given duties that could lie made to appeal to 

 his interests and which are within his capabilities. Removed from the 

 competition to which he is not equal, his planning done for him. the cares 

 and troubles to which he is subjected in the world eliminated, his life 

 could lie guided so as to give him the maximum of happiness. Further- 

 more, he would be beyond the power of those who seek such as he to fur- 

 ther their own ends. And. again, he would no longer be able to bring into 

 the world others of his kind, to endure a difficult life and to furnish more 

 cases with which society would have to deal. 



But since we do not have such an institution at the present time, it 

 is our duty now to do all that we can to assist them with our present 

 machinery. Many of these delinquents have special abilities which can be 

 developed, if we will find them. Already there have been many instances 

 in which the finding of an adaptability has furnished an outlet for the 

 hitherto recalcitrant individuality. We must develop them mentally as 

 far as possible, teach them to read and write, if they prove able to learn, 

 for here some mental interests may be aroused. Closely related to the 

 mental defect in many of the cases, is a physical defect due often to mal- 

 nutrition and improper care during infancy or early childhood. So far 

 as is possible, these physical handicaps must be removed. The training in 



