SECOND DIVISION

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 25 September 1917, Page 3

SECOND DIVISION

EARLY EXAMINATION WANTED,

WELLINGTON, Sept 21. Still more questions about the Second Division men were asked to-day in the House of Representatives. Mr C. J. Parr (Eden) asked the Minister for Defence whether he uvas able to arrange for a pre-ballot medical examination of Second Division men. He understood that there was an objection to the very early ■ medical examination of men, because it happened sometimes that a man passed as fit might be unfit a few months later, and vice versa, but there were other cases in which defects such as fauty eyesight were constant. These men were in doubt as to what was going to happen to them. They did no. know whether they should prepare tc give up their business or not. He urged that an early medical examination might be arranged for men of this class. *

j Sir Jameg Allen said the difficulty was' to secure more medical officers to conduct the examination. The Department had applied to the British Medical Association, but the whoi thing was contingent on legislation going through to empower the eminent to conscript medical men. i The Minister for Public Health had I a Bill in hand dealing with this quesJ tion. He would suggest that men who I had the defects mentioned might get j a report from their own medical men. j Mr Parr: That is no use. 1 Sir James Allen: It would be ;■

guide to them ? at any rate. Mr Parr: It would not even be f j guide. s> The Minister stated that he had ?' I ready said that three months would be allowed between the ballot and calling up. If it was possible to allow three months between the medical examination and the time of going hit camp he would be glad to arrange for it. In this he would -have to be guided by circumstances. Asked whether the dependents of the married men already in the Expeditionary Force ‘would receive the same benefits as those to be given to dependants of men of the Second DivI ision, the Minister for Defence said that in the matter of concessions no difference would be made between the dependants of Second Division men and those of married men already in the army. He wished to state, however, that the concession could not be made retrospective. A date would be fixed after which the new rates would be payable.