DENTAL CLINIC

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11128, 11 February 1930, Page 3

DENTAL CLINIC

APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC FOR FUNDS. POOR RESPONSE SO FAR. Owing to the very poor support accorded by the public to the appeal for iunds, there is a distinct possibility of the school dental chn,e hi Gisborne being closed down, and the service, which has proven so valuable during tlie past few vears, withdrawn. When the campaign for funds began, a.sum of £SOO was aimed at and, to date, the total subscriptions amount to £7 Bs. It will be remembered that, last year, the Hawke's Bay Education Board intimated that it could no longer make the usual contribution towards tlu' expenses of the clinic, and that. tiiL should be taken over by a local committee. After two meetings, a committee was set up and the campaign lor funds initiated in December last. The Health Department offered a subsidy of £2 lor £1 on the cost of the building, estimated at £360, thus leaving £l2O to he found by the committee. The general expenses were estimated In total around about £SO annually, hence (he committee aimed at providing chough for hoih . building and maintenance, namely £SOO . The poor public response, when reported to the last meeting of the committee, evoked a warm discussion on the matter. tT was emphasised that the public did not appreciate the amount, of work performed at the elinic, the fact that last year 1500 children were ins tier ted and treated it Gisborne being especially mentioned. Further, it was argued that the closing down of the clink* would e..si ■a slur on the progressive .spirit of the town and would also render any resuscitation of lhe movement a matter of greatly increased diiTiruity. Moreover, .Ance the lb aid had maintained the clinic for years, it was pointed out. surely Gisborns should now he prepared to take on her share of the work, especially since the amount of money involved was, compared with the good derived negligible. The committee ?osolved to make a further appeal to parents and the public.