DEFENCE QUESTIONS

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 51, 29 August 1917, Page 8

DEFENCE QUESTIONS

MEDICAL REJECTS AND RE-

EXAMINATION

POSITION OF MAORI SOLDIERS.

Various subjects relating to military affairs were mentioned in Parliament yesterday afternoon.

Dr. Thacker asked the Minister whether he was prepared to allow medical men with actual experience of camp life to examine those men who had been turned down as medically unfit and permit doctors in civil practice to go into camp to obtain experience. The Minister replied that this was already being done., so that medical men would have the benefit of both military and civil experience. As regards C 2 men, a special board would be set up to visit the different centres.

Replying to Mr. Buick, Sir J.;ones Allen said he was taking into consideration the question of reorganising the drill of the Territorial Forces in order that there might be more week-end drills, or some other form of dril', instead of night drill.

Three questions were asked, by the Hon. A. T. Nga^-a in regard to the Maori Expeditionary Force. The first was as to whether the 2nd Maori Contingent was included in the arrangements made in regard to the bringing back to New Zealand of the Ist Native Contingent; the second as to whether it would be possible to bring back all the members of the Ist Maori Contingent {of whom, he said, there could not be many left) in one body ; and the third ac to whether it would be possible to allow Major Buck leave to come to New Zealand.

The Minister, in replying, said that the main Maori contingent would get every chance with the 250 men who were to come back every month, but it would^not be fair to give the Maoris more ™ian their fair proportion. The matter" was one for the Officer Commanding, as also ' was the matter of Major Buck being granted leave.