FREE DENTISTRY.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 112, 13 May 1916, Page 3

FREE DENTISTRY.

AND MEDICAL TREATMENT. AN UNBLUSHING TYPE OF SHIRKER. Reprehensible as is the conduct of the man who is in every way eligible to join the colours, but neglects the call of duty, his meanness is nothing compared with that of a new type of shirker whose conduct is the limit of shameless impudence. At yesterday afternoon's meeting of the Auckland City Recruiting Committee it was brought to the notice of the meeting that quite a number of cases had occurred of men who had been medically examinedfi ostensibly with the object of enlisting, had benefitted by dental or medical treatment, and had then failed to come up to the stratch.

As is generally known, when a recruit is found to be unfit because of some quite minor defect, such as bad teeth, varicose veins, or other cause possible of remedy, his case is deferred in order that he may undergo the treatment that will qualify him for passing the medical test. In many cases nien have had their teeth extracted, stopped, or replaced at the very considerable expense of the Government, or have undergone operations for slight disablities, again without paying, but subsequently failed to re-appear for medical examination. For some reason or other no action has been taken against them, and the Recruiting Station to this class of person has become the dispenser of very expensive benefits. Members of' the committee expressed indignation that such* a state of affairs should obtain, and amongst the suggestions for bringing the young men to heel is that their names shall be made public or that they shall be sued in the courts for the cost of the treatment. It Avas decided to call the attention of the Defence Department to the matter.