OUR YOUNG MEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1918, Page 5

OUR YOUNG MEN.

| "WE MOST IMPROVE THEER |' PffiflSßOAE SMS-DABBS" ■.'] -i '(Special Correspondent.)' V; Wellington, July'lsThe Minister of Defence told a depntatioo to-day that he was much surprise*! 3 at the large proportion of medical rejec- i tio&g among the reservists called up for [ j service. "The first thing we must do," | ihe said, "ia to improve the physical ] standard of the young men." . 'I This is a subject that has received ' i attention from medical men during last four years, and the suggestion has)' « been made that the Government should J ask some of the members of the New a Zealand Medical Corps to prepare a re* Jj port regarding the general physical con- ,ii dition of the men of military ago. Tho ■,B doctors who have been examining tens L wi l of thousands of volunteers and balloted' 1 l men have had an excellent .opportunity J 'to form opinions that would be of the | utmost value to the Government in de- ' a vising the necessary remedial measures.,'. 1 own opinion is that the Govern" * ment ought to face this question at ij once," said a medical officer to-day.' : "The fact that anything like 60 per ceirtJ '5 of the men of military age have proved] 3 to be physically- unfit for military ser* J vice demands attention Medical examination of the children of school age, at i the expense of the State, seems to be the " first, step, buit-re cannot stop there. We shall have to ensure that medical treat- : ? ment is within thn reach of parents of small means. We must see that p#r- J. ents realise the importance of protect- i ing the health of their children. The i subject is an enormous one. It involves , the problems of housing, dietary, care of infants, and so forth. It cannot sa be neglected." "i