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The Village Of Happiness: The Story Of The Training School

Creator: Joseph P. Byers (author)
Date: 1934
Publisher: The Smith Printing House
Source: New Jersey State Library
Figures From This Artifact: Figure 2  Figure 3  Figure 4  Figure 5  Figure 6

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"Knowledge of what was being done soon spread. Similar committees were formed in New York and Pennsylvania and from more places came the call for help.

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"In 1911 we put a young woman, of our staff, in charge of Extension but the field soon outgrew her efforts. In 1913, through the financial support of Mr. Samuel Fels, Mr. Maurice Ayars and others we were able to secure Alexander Johnson, give him a clerk and a field worker and the department was really launched.

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"Much has been done in New Jersey. Two colonies have been formed; one entirely by the citizens of Burlington County. Never before in any state has there been such wide-spread interest in, and knowledge of, the feeble-minded. A special Commission was appointed to study the situation and the present Legislature will undoubtedly set them to developing their plans. Our department has taken a leading part in the publicity campaigns in Virginia and North Carolina, where some results have already been obtained and requests have been received within the last few months to promote such movements in Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas.

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"These facts and the recent calls upon the Director to speak in the interest of the feeble-minded in Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa and Wisconsin have led to the conference above mentioned and the appointment of this Committee.

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"We believe that The Training School is the best place to carry out a nation-wide campaign for the care of the feeble-minded and in order to do it effectively this department must:

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"a. Become a central bureau for the collection of literature, data and statistics concerning feeble-mindedness, distribute this freely whenever needed and keep research students in touch with what others are doing, to avoid duplication of effort.

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"b. Help, insofar as possible, in the establishing of institutions and colonies, special classes in the public schools, medico-psychological inspection of children in schools and institutions.

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"c. Promote publicity campaigns in states and communities, pushing the propaganda in localities where there is evidence of its need.

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"d. Encourage the development of laboratories, study of communities, investigation of family histories and survey of localities.

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"e. After a preliminary study of local conditions, use its experience in outlining a practical plan for carrying on whatever work is needed anywhere.

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"There are certain principles which we believe may be assumed: viz.,

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"1. That the problems of those working with the epileptic and the insane; the criminals and juvenile delinquents; the prostitutes and other sex offenders; the paupers and homeless; the drunkards and drug habitues; the ne'er-do-wells and inefficients would be greatly simplified if those who are feeble-minded were properly segregated.

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"2. That the offspring of parents, both of whom are feeble-minded, will be feeble-minded.

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"3. That but a small proportion of the feeble-minded needing care and custody are receiving it.

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"4. That feeble-mindedness is a condition, not usually the result of disease, and is not curable.

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"5. That hereditary feeble-mindedness (about 65% according to the studies made) is transmissible.

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"6. That the feeble-minded woman rarely escapes the sexual experiences that too often result in the birth of more defectives.

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"7. That the general public must have much more information concerning the problem if the best results are to be obtained.

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"We use the term feeble-minded in this paper to include only those whose defective mental condition is indubitable and easily recognized by the expert.

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"To effectively carry out our program, we recommend that the Department of Extension be organized with the following:

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"1st. A director and lecturer to take charge of work in the field and handle the campaign on the ground. (We now have Mr. Alexander Johnson doing this.)

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"2nd. A secretary in charge of the office to direct the gathering and classification of data, plan the details of campaigns, edit the Bulletin and other matter for distribution, provide charts, pictures and exhibits, make public the results of scientific work from any laboratory, and keep in close touch with the whole movement everywhere.

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"3rd. A suitable office force. (We have one stenographer.)

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"4th. Field workers to examine and test children, study families and communities and help local committees to get this properly done. (We have, at present, one field worker.)

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"For this there is needed a budget of at least $20,000 a year for ten years and the Committee feels that no further development of the department should be attempted until this is secured.

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"We, therefore, further recommend that this Committee be continued with instructions to use every effort to raise this budget."

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To R. Bayard Cutting of New York City, a member of the Board of Directors of The Training School, belongs the credit for enlisting the interest and financial support of those who contributed to the work. Largely through his efforts the budget of $20,000 a year for three years was raised.

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