POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13557, 7 November 1907, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES.

(Telegraphed by Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON,' November 6^ DEFENCE ACT AMENDMENTS. The Defence Act Amendment Bill proposes several more or less technical amendments in the Acts of 1886 and 1900. A new definition of "corps" 'is proposed as follows:—'^ corps may be a regiment of mounted rifles, a battery of artillery, a division of garrison "art tillery, or a~ battalion of infantry, and includes a portion, of -a battery or, division of artillery, a company of engineers, rifles, or .mounted infantry, , a transport .corps,, a bearer., cqrps, and a reserye s corps forming part of the defence forces. Power is given to the Governor tq accep^t^ 16 services of re- ( serve corps. , Only jtofllcers of volunteer corps below the rank of captain are to be elected by the members of the corps. Volunteers of three consecutive years" service may be enrolled upon the reserve list. Failure to attend an annual inspection is made punishable by a fine of £5, in the case of an officer- o* dBl-in the case 6f a volunteer. Notice to .quit a corps must terminate in March or ' instead of in January or July as at present. There is' a provision that out of the capitation uniforms are first to bo paid for by the officer and the remainder is to go to the corps.. Section 24 of tho Act of 1900, permitting the Governor to sell or lease-un-suitable rifle ranges, is repealed. The officer commanding a district is constituted as officer and trustee of drillsheds in his district. : PUBLIC HEALTH. The Public Health Act Amendment Bill provides that two or more boards may. by agreement combine to, establish and maintain a sanatorium for persons suffering from consumption. The land and buildings are to be vested in-one of the boards. -- The sanatorium will be managed by a joint . committee of the boards and the cost paid as per arrangement and subject to appeal (as tc' details) to a magistrate. The cost so incurred will be recoverable „from the local authorities • under the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act. It is also provided that a- district board or hospital boa.rd which has been compelled by the chief health officer to provide a hqspital for infectious diseases mayV with the consent of the chief health officer, agree with* the hospital trustees of tho district to provide, equip, and maintain the institution. The cost is to, be borne by the local authorities. Further, when a change takes plaee^in the^ locality either by increase or decrease of population, the 'chief health officer may alter the apportionment p^ the , cost as between- the . various . local authorities to Suit the altered conditions. W4ien a district board or hos* pital board ' is , required by the chief health officer to 'provide a hospital' for infectious diseases, the board is empowered to acquire a' site by, purchase or exchange, to take a site \mder the Public Works Act; or to use for tli* 1 purpose any land in its possession. j An.other important' provision 'is *thsfc> by which the district health officer or any■.officer appointed "by.,. "'the., Education- 1 Board 1 , is, empowered , fo examine, the children, atiendj-ng any f public school to notify the parents or guardians, of any child of any disease or bodily, .defect which he may detect. ' * . • mmm~mmmm—mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm~mm , %