DENTISTS' ANNUAL DINNER.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2778, 24 May 1916, Page 6

DENTISTS' ANNUAL DINNER.

MINISTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH ' . SPEAICS. Delegates attending the Now Zealand Dental Association's annual conferenco dined together in the Grand Hotel last evening, tlie president, Mr. A. M. Carter, being in the chair. Tlie . guests of the evening included tho Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister of Public Health; .the Hon. J. A. Hanan, Minister of Education;'and Surgeon-General Henderson. 11l proposing the toast of the, "National Ministry," the president apologised for the absence of the Hon. J. Allen, Minister of Defence. Tho speaker drew attention to the- necessity, of attending to, the teeth of the children of New Zealand. If this was done lie was sure that the nation would not degenerate.. ■ He paid a high tributo to the work of the National Ministry.

The Hon. G. W. Russell, in responding, said that although tho National Government did not contain'representatives of all parties in tho House, it had the representatives of the two principal political parties, hence party politics had been abolished. He was not prepared to predict what the future politics of the country would be, but he was sure that there would only be one party till the war had been brought to a successful conclusion. (Applause.). Although ho was sorry that the Hon. J. Allen was not present, Mr. Russell said that Mr. Allen was doing a noble work in presiding over the new .'Pensions Bill, which was before tho House. He extended the thanks of tho Government as well as of the people to tho Dental Asociation for the great work that body had accomplished since the war. began. He also thanked tho association for a donation of .£IOO towards tho new dental hospital at Trentham. Reference was made by Mr. Carter to tho state of children's teeth, and Mr. Russell said that if these children are handicapped at the commencement of their lives with bad teeth, what of the future? The Government had been asked to give a grant for a campaign against dental diseases in children. He reminded those present that the war expenditure of New Zealand ran into many millions of pounds a year, but he had managed to obtain ,£IOOO for tho purpose mentioned. If the parents of children could riot afford to pay for treatment, then dental branches in hospitals should be established. He stated that ho was determined to have tho dental servico developed in all hospitals under his control.

The Hon. ,T. A. Hanan also replied, and said that with the formation of the National Ministry, and the consequent inareaso of the work of administration had been made much better. He also stressed tho importance of tho teeth of children as far as their health was concerned. The war meant the elimination of the fit, and it was tho duty of those left to make the coming generations more tit. To bis mind, neonlo did not realise the importance of ninping in the bud defects in children's teeth. (Hear, hear.l There wero not sufficient dentists in Now .Zealand to meet the renuiroments o.f tho adult nopu'ation, let alone the children. In order to increase the supply of dentists. Mr. TTnnim advocated a lowering of the dmifn] nualifieation. (Voics: No, no! What about the

'Victors?) Before resuming his sent Mr. Hnnan askedthe association to h"ln the f!o\ ermncril; in nvorv way possible to ovTcnmn tho difficulty. Sir Chns. 1 Jlunlelt, Bart., proposed the toast of the "Army and Navv," and Pur-poon-Cieneral Henderson and Lieut.-C.'ol. TTnntcr resnonded. Musical items wre rawlrib"fcd by Messrs. Herbert F. Wood, Hamilton J-rod?es. Ernest Ln);s, and George HolloWAV,