DENTAL CLINIC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 May 1939, Page 4

DENTAL CLINIC

FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

SOME PARENTS NEGLECTING RESPONSIBILITIES. CHAIRMAN'S STRONG PROTEST. “I am quite convinced in my own mind that unless the parents of this district stand up to their responsibilities we will have to devise some other scheme or close down altogether,” said Mr W. R. Nicol, chairman of the Masterton Dental Clinic committee this morning, when, referring to the financial difficulties of the Masterton Clinic. “There is no trouble at all in other districts.” Mr Nicol continued, “and clinics elsewhere are run on the same lines as the one in Masterton. The parents of this district have been spoonfed so long as the result of Trust Lands Trust grants for free stationery and in necessitous cases for books also that they do not appreciate what is being done for the benefit of their children. They expect to get everything for nothing. One headmaster tells me that it easier to get 4s for a book in the district in which he was stationed before he came to Mastqrton than it is to get 3d for an exercise book in Masterton.” Mr Nicol said that if. every child which received treatment at the clinic paid the 5s per year required, the clinic would have a credit balance of £4O or £5O for the year, whereas this year, there was a debit balance of £4O. Circulars had been sent out to parents stating that no treatment would be given unless the 5s was paid, but it was found that that had resulted in a number of children not receiving treatment at all, much to their detriment. In a good many cases, where parents could not afford to pay, treatment was given free. It was very noticeable said Mr Nicol that many parents who were able to send 10s and £1 to be credited to the child’s account in the school savings bank scheme were the very ones who were unable to find 5s for the Dental Clinic. After the child had passed through Standard 4, after which Dental Clinic •treatment ceased, parents would begin to realise what a remarkably cheap service had been offered for 5s per year.

Mr Nicol pointed out that the committee nad to find each year a sum of about £BO for forwarding to the department of Dental Hygiene as a contribution towards the engagement of the nurses; £BO rental for the rooms and had to provide for laundry and equipment and cleaning of the rooms.