CONFERENCE OF CHEMISTS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18015, 6 March 1924, Page 9

CONFERENCE OF CHEMISTS.

(press association teleghah.)

DUNEDIN, March 4,

At the Chemists' Conference the president of the Pharmacy Board, Mr P. Castle, spoke of the need for a new Act regulating the sale of poisons. The existing Act was forty years old, and it was possible to sell poison in gingerbeer bottles or brown paper parcels. The Pharmacy Board had several, times gone the length of having a Bill prepared, but as it dealt with a contentious technical subject the Government had found it difficult to put such a Bill through. The Conference discussed the action of the Civil Servants' Association in attempting to arrange a contract at cut rates with certain pharmacies. It was resolved to urge the members of the Society not to' give concession and to request the Chemists' Defence Association to seek the co-operation oi other traders with a view to stopping Civil Servants gaining a trading advantage over the general public. Mr F. Castle stated that the Society had 625 members at present. New Zealand was slightly behind Australia and some other parts of the world in regard to qualification. One of the difficulties was that education was not centralised. It wa3 hoped that botany and chemistry might bo taught at the University Colleges in the four centres, but those colleges were not in a position to teach pharmacy or materia chemistry, so they were going to ask for assistance, and thought that they had a right to do so. The conference decided to set up a business committee to deal with matters in relation to the British Medical Association, Dental Association, and Pharmaceutical Society as they arise, 'with the object of promoting a better feeiing between the three Associations. 'lt was decided that the Pharmacy Board's examination be held only once a year (in November) or alternately that the B and C Sections be held only once a vear. . The society also decided tr> seek legislation to prevent further extension of companv pharmacy. It was stated that such pharmacy, especially that in departmental stores, _ threatened to become a menace to New Zealand.