POLITICAL NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1929, Page 1

POLITICAL NOTES

THE FINALE. The Address-in-Reply finished on Thursday with considerable heat. The galleries were packed, many members of the Farmers’ Union being present, and they had by no means a dull entertainment. The calm of the previous weeks seems to have broken, and there are distinct signs of stormy weather ahead. Mr Wright was in his okl fighting form, and was most amusing, and the Minister of Justice followed using all his histrionic powers and his fine voice, with its gamut of emotions, to emphasise his points. Now possibly the House may begin to do some work—what the country sent members to Wellington for. The Labour men will be relieved from their long ordeal of silence, and, after so lengthy a spell to meditate and ponder, there should be a cataract off eloquence from tliem. THE NEXT BUSINESS. An outstanding feature of the week will naturally be the presentation of Sir Joseph Ward’s Budget, concerning which the lobbies are full of rumours. The Prime Minister makes no secret of the fact that the Budget will reveal the Government’s intentions regarding the South Island railway and economy measures to counter-balance a deficit of £577,000, but actual details are known only to Cabinet. It is yet too early to 'attempt to forecast.

DENTAL CLINICS EXTENSION. As far as the financial resources ot the Dominion will permit, and having regard to other requirements, the utmost speed will he given to the development of the schools dental service, according to a statement made by the Minister of Health in the House to-day Mr Stallworthy said lie was advised by responsible officers of his Department that even at the present rate of development school dental clinics will he operating throughout New Zealand in six or eight years. When Mr Kyle (Riccarton) asked if this applied to private schools, the Minister replied that it did, and it was hoped to give the dental clinics service to the whole oif the school children up to Standard IV. If this service were to be given immediately to all children of the Dominion, he was advised by expert officers that the whole of the professional services of the country would have to be called into use. It was not a question of any lack of heart interest or lack of intelligent application to the development of this very fine and valuable service; rather, it was a question of economics and finance. There were many other things which some might like to do with a wave off the hand, but they simply could not lie done.