UNREGISTERED DENTISTS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 54, 1 September 1926, Page 3

UNREGISTERED DENTISTS

EIGHT TO QUALIFY

Tho Dontists Amendment Bill, which gives fifty-seven unregistered dentists ' the right to sit for examination, was read a second time in the House of Eepresentatives last night. Moving the second reading, the Minister of Health (the Hon. J. A. Young) reviewed the history of legislation dealing with dentists. Eventually- a Commission had been set up to consider the claims of unregistered men, and as a result of tho recommendations of the Commission it had twen decided to give the men an opporamity of sitting at examinations. He advised all those who proposed to sit to make their applications for examination at the earliest possible moment after the passing of the Bill. He hoped that the Bill would place the dental law of New Zealand on a satisfactory basis, and end once and for all the difficulties which had been experienced. Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) said he was not sure that it was not a dangerous thing to open the door in the way proposed by the Bill. The chief danger, however, appeared to lie in allowing the men concerned to. practice for nearly three years before their examination. Now that the door had been opened he did not see why it should not be opened again in the future. Mr. "W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) ■welcomed the Bill very warmly, although he did not think that it contained all that might be desired. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. H. E. Holland) said that the House was merely doing an act of justice, to which the unregistered dentists were entitled. Sir Maui Pomare said he regarded tho Bill as a complete vindication of his contentions on the Bill that was previously before the House. Mr. Harris was afraid that the same set of circumstances might arise again in the future, but he assured the House that there was no ground for such a fear. The Bill would wash up the whole matter. There would be no danger to the public in allowing the men to practice, and in this connection, he stated that many of the dentists practising to-day had never passed an. examination at all. He would have liked to see the Commission go further and, recommend partial passes. In reply, the Minister of Health said that there waß nothing in the Bill other than what was tho expressed will and intention of the Commission. The Bill was a fair attempt to solve a difficult problem and to do justice. The Bill was read a second time.