ONLY DEPARTMENTAL INQUIRY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 13

ONLY DEPARTMENTAL INQUIRY

BTATEMENT BY THE HON. DOW-

NIE STEWART.

(IX TILMLIPH.—r*IM IMOCUTIOX.)

DUNEDm, 25th January. The Dental Commission's report was referred to the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, who said: "The inquiry on which the report was based was purely a departmental inquiry as to the best means of enlarging the Dental School at Dunedin. There was no Cabinet authority for any inquiry as to whether any other place was more suitable for a.Dental School. Whatever development may be found advisable in other centres in future, nothing will be done to, prejudice the Dunedin Dental School without the concurrence of the Otago University so long as I am a member of the Cabinet."

Sir Henry Ferguson, dean of the medical faculty, said he had not seen the report, and had no knowledge of the evi-' dence that had been placed before the committee, so he was not in a position to make a statement. ' However, he would make general comment that it would be a grave mistake to-duplicate the departments of physiology and anatomy." These subjects conld be taught quite sufficiently here,-and it would be a very serious expense to establish schools elsewhere.

When the report was referred to the Vice-Chancellor (Mr. T. K. Sidey, M.P.) he stated that he was not prepared to make any comment in the meantime.

"The Post's" Dunedin correspondent states .that the University Council and the Chamber of Commerce will hold conferences next' week to consider the Dental School question.