ROLL OR DIRECTORY?

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11505, 11 February 1903, Page 5

ROLL OR DIRECTORY?

AN INTERESTING LEGAL POINT. Attihe Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr K. Beetham, S.M., John Henry Fountain was charged that, being other than a legally qualified medical practitioner, te had used* the title of "dentist." ■Mr L. C. Williams, Registrar of Electors, produced ah application for enrolment eigned by accused, who there eet down hie profession as being that of a dentist. The electoral roll .was largely used as a directory. , J. F. Rhodes, electoral clerk, deposed to having witnessed the- claim for enrolment. 'Mr T. G. Russell, who appeared for the accused, admitted, the facts, but submitted that Mr Fountain had been a dentist for 22 years, though he was not registered. The accused had no reason to suppose that his application for enrolment, which was private in its nature, would be used for public purposes. The Statute provided that every man was bound to state his occupation before going on the roll, and could have described himself as nothing but a dentist. Air Russell submitted that the case should be dismissed*, as there was no attempt to mislead the public, though his client might have committed an act of negligence or inadvertence. Mr Beeltham safri it was rather stretching the Act to say that the accused, while stating his profession us a dentiet on the roll, was dioiog wrong. The roll was printed "for a certain purpose, and was never intended to be used as a directory. ', Tie case would be dismissed.