PARLIAMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 18 September 1917, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. WELLINGTON, Sept. 17. The House of Representatives met at 7.30. * FARM LABOUR. Replying to Mr. Thomson, the Premier said the * House would have an opportunity of amending the Military Service Act, this session in the direction of preventing farms being depleted of labour. THE FOURTH SON Replying to Mr. Isitt, the Premier said that where three sons in a family were serving at the front, and a fourth is called up in the ballot, he thought it would be a mistake on the part of the Military Service Boards if they did not exempt that son from service. MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN. The Minister of Education laid on the table the report of the medical inspection of school children. During the discussion, which followed the Hon. G. W. Russell, said he wished to make it clear that there was money available for subsiding £ for £ any hospital board whiem elects to treat the troubles of school children. He was not prepared to say on the spur of the moment what attitude he would adopt towards those boards which refused to take steps in this direction. The Hon. Hanan eulogised the work being done by the medical inspectors of schools, who had examined a hundred thousand children since the service was inaugurated. He intended to initiate a travelling dental clinic to meet the requirements of country school-children. If successful its operations would be considerably extended. The great difficulty of the departmentin treating the physical defects of school-children was the scarcity of medical men and the shortage of money. {*