OTAGO UNIVERSITY CLAIMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 299, 15 December 1923, Page 12

OTAGO UNIVERSITY CLAIMS.

MEDICAL AND DENTAL SCHOOLS. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. (By Telegraph.—l'ress Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. On the 12th instar.t. iliere was circulated throughout the Dominion a statement by Mr. T. K. Sidey, chairman of the Otago University Council, concerning grants for the" new buildings for medical and dental schools at Dunedin. Interviewed on the matter today the Hon. G. J. Anderson said that Mr. Sidey's statement was most misleading, because he (Mr. Anderson) had been Acting-Minister of Education and had attended regularly to all matters requiring Ministerial or Cabinet authority. Mr. Side}- had not been fair to Mr. Parr, seeing that the latter left the country on account of ill-health and on the advice of his doctor. As a matter of fact Mr. Parr has been under medical treatment ever since he arrived in Sydney. Mr. Sidey omitted to state that authority had been given to the Council by the Department to call for tenders for the new Medical School. Further, Mr. Sidey did not state, what is well-known to him. that by direction of the Hon. C. J. Parr a committee of four was set up to go into questions of the requirements for dental training in Aew Zealand, and the best means to meet them. The committee was lurther to report on the possibility, of utilisation for dental purposes of* the accommodation that will be relinquished liy the Medical School. The report of tins committee is only just completed, and as very important matters of policy are involved, consideration of the same will take some little time