POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16026, 18 September 1915, Page 5

POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES

EDUCATION SYSTEM. t INCREASED COST OBJECTED TO. | {BY TELEGRAPH. SPECIAL COIUIESPOXDENT.] WEllington-, Friday. Mb. J. Axstet (Waitaki) complained, >n the House of Representatives to-day, of the increase in the cost of education, as shown by the education report. The cost for the year, he said, had increased, by 12 per cent., while the increase in the number of children had been only 3 per cent.

FREE DENTISTRY FOP. CHILDREN.

When the education report was under discussion in the House to-day, Mr. C. J. Parr referred to the statements made in the report about the decayed condition of the teeth of very many of the children, as disclosed by a medical inspection. Mr. Parr declared that the Department should not cease its activities in this "direction ■with the collection of statistics. When-, children suffered from decayed teeth, and received no attention at the" hands of dentists, their health •was almost certain to be' affected, and the State, therefore, should take action, as was done in New South Wales. Mr. Parr urged that the Minister should immediately institute inquiries with the view to discovering the best method of providing the advantage of free dentistry to those children whose narents were unable to pay for necessarv dental services.

In reply, the Minister said that his Department, as indicated in the report, was very willing to extend its activities in the direction indicated, but financial considerations imposed a limit, and little could be done at present.