lves the butts of their fellows, and the
"inferiority complex" thus developed tends to make them sink lower in
the scale both in intellect and morals.

"On the other hand, it is the general experience of those who have had
many years' practical experience with defectives that the majority are
far happier in suitable institutions engaged in congenial occupations,
and having the companionship of their mental equals, than when they are
exposed to the difficulties of an outside world to which they are
incapable of adapting themselves. In many cases, indeed, such freedom
amounts to the infliction of positive cruelty."

This statement is taken from the memorandum of the Central Association
for Mental Welfare of Great Britain, to which reference has already been
made, and this Committee can, from their own observation, endorse the
views thus expressed.

It seems desirable, however, to point out the fallacy of a popular idea
that the world could easily stamp out defectives and degenerates by
merely adopting a vigorous policy of segregation and sterilization. Even
if it were possible by these means to prevent all manifest mental
defectives from reproducing, it cannot be expected that this class will
be thereby eliminated from the population, since mental defectives may
be the offspring of apparently normal stocks, or may be descended from
stock in which only minor manifestations of impaired nervous vitality,
such as instability, eccentricity, &c., have hitherto been evident, and
in a large proportion of cases they are no doubt the progeny of persons
belonging to the higher grade of distinctly degenerate stock--persons
who have not themselves necessarily shown any marked traits of
instability or degeneracy, and to whom therefore sterilization or
segregation would be inapplicable.

SECTION 12.--THE QUESTION OF EXPENSE.

It will probably be objected that the plan for cutting off as far as
possible further additions to the mental defectives of the Dominion will
involve increased expenditure. This is, unfortunately, the case; but
will it not be a much more costly process to allow the present
unrestricted multiplication of these defectives to continue in an
ever-increasing ratio? If they are allowed to multiply, their
unfortunate offspring will have to be provided for in one way or
another--some by means of charitable aid, some in our prisons, some in
our mental hospitals. Take the case of the defective couple, case No. 4,
pag