THOSE TEETH.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 259, 2 November 1925, Page 8

THOSE TEETH.

" PUBLICITY » TREATMENT. HUMILIATION OF PARENTS. At a large open air meeting held at the corner of Argyle Street and Great North Road, Morningside, on Saturday evening. Mr. H. G. R. Mason, the Labour candidate for Eden, again referred to school dental clinics. Since he had mentioned the matter on the previous evening at Mount Albert, said the candidate, he had been besieged by parents desirous of assuring him that his statements were correct. Voices from the audience here broke in, confirming the candidate's statement and testifying that notices had been received that children's teeth required attending to, but that the parents had had to pay for the treatment. Some from the audience produced bills and receipts. The candidate stated that whatever might be tlie explanation of the statements made by Sir J. Parr's supporters at Mount Albert the previous evening, it was quite clear that the people generally were unable to get free dental treatment for the children. There seemed to be only just sufficient dental treatment to serve for purposes of the Minister's publicity, but no more, and very little dental treatment was available even to those who lived alongside the dental clinic in Avondale. Those who wanted free dental treatment had to plead poverty and submit to questions of such a humiliating character as no self-respect-ing person would tolerate. The • free treatment seemed to be confined to the infant classes at school.