'FIRST IN THE EMPIRE'

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 99, 26 April 1917, Page 4

'FIRST IN THE EMPIRE'

NEW ZEALAND DENTAL

CORPS

SPLENDID WORK DONE.

The annual dinner of the New Zealand Dental Association was held at the Grand Hotel last night. Captain M. E. Denniston (president) occupied the chair, and among those present were the Hon. G. W. Russell, Sir John Denniston, Major-General Sir A. Robin, Surgeon-, General Henderson, and Colonel Purdy. In proposing the toast of "His Majesty's Government," the Chairman read apologies for unavoidable absence from ithe Acting Prime Minister (Sir J. Allen) and'the Hon. J. A. Hanan. Sir James Allen in his letter expressed high appreciation of the help that the Dental Association has rendered to the Defence Department. (Hear, hear.) Captain Denniston spoke :strortgly in support of the idea which had actuated the formation of the National Government, whose only object was to help to win the war. (Applause.) He thought the fusion of | Government and Opposition might~"be expected to bring about faT-reaching results. ' As to what Sir James Allen had stated in his letter, he said that practically all the work done by the members of the , for the recruits and ! others connected 1 with the Army was overtime work. It had been rumoured, h,e added, that the Government conteinj- plated filling vacancies in the ranks of the dentists who had gone to the front -with .foreigners—men who were riot New 'Zealanders. He deprecated the suggestion that the standard of education of dentists should be lowered, and as to the aims of the association he said that it only: excluded from membership those ■who palpably intended to gull the public. In reply to the toast, the Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister of Public Health) congratulated the chairman on the fact that there was present among them his own distinguished father, Sir John Denniston (applause, .followed by the singing of "He's, a, Jolly Good Fellow"). Continuing, the Minister • gave an emphatic denial to the rumour mentioned by the chairman that the' Government intended to import "foreigners" to replace those dentists who had gone to the front. There was not a word of truth in it, either as regarded dentists or medical; men. Nothing was contemplated that would affect the rights of such men when they returned. As soon as he assumed his present position he issued an order that no permanent appointment to the position of matron or medical superintendent would be allowed i that, all such appointments must be of a temporary nature, and that the interests of all those who had gone to the front must be conserved. (Applause.) He expressed the hope that the confer-. ence Would evolve a scheme by which they could maintain the dental' service of New Zealand at the highest standard of scientific and educational efficiency. His concern was to see that equality of opportunity was given to young men and young women who had attained a sufficient educational standard. He expressed the belief that under our Labour laws, Tyhich limited the number of apprentices to various trades, we were not now supplying a sufficient number of skilled workers, and if things were not changed we would have to go abroad for such skilled workers, and for necessary additions to the, ranks of the medical and dental professions. (Applause;) In conclusion, he said that the National Government was absolutely united in its intention that New Zealand should carry out its pledges to the; Mother Country—to go ..with it to the extent of, the last men and the: last shilling, until an honourable and lasting peace was assured. (Loud applause.) In honour of Anzac Day, "God Save the King" "was. sung. . ' ''..

'Mr. F: Washburn proposed the toast of "The New Zealand Army," and in doing so expressed full appreciation of the recognition that was npw extended to the dentists in the organisation of the forces. '" . '

, Major-General Sir Alfred Jtobin, in replying, said t.s was -glad of the opportunity , to let the association know .that the New Zea-1 land Army could;claim the credit of be-1 ingthe first to establish:' a Dental Corps. (Applause.) Snch a work, of course, took a long time. There were no precedents, and the system had to be made j very elastic. He believed that the, establishment had now been brought to a satisfactory state, and for all time to come th"c Dental Corps would always form a part of the New Zealand Army. (Applause.) Surgeon-General Henderson also replied. He remarked that the war bad brought out the important fact that the soldier "fought on his teeth," and it> was to the credit' of New Zealand and of her dentists that that fact had bejen so quickly and efficiently realised. He went on to eulogise in detail the work of the dentists in connection with the, troops, who were going Home now dentally efficient, and it was satisfactory to hear from General Richardson that the New Zealand Division had the second lowest death rate in the whole of the Army. (Applause.) "The New Zealand Dental Corps" was proposed by Col. Purdy, who said that the formation of such a corps was considered at the % time the Territorial system was being brought into operation. It was, however, found to be inopportune to. carry out the scheme then, btit it was decided that when the troops were mobilised for. war dentists would be sent; and.ten were sent away with the fh'st forces. Then; they sent dentists lo the camps, and from those beginnings the Dental Corps was evolved. The good they had done was incalculable. He urged that the corps skould take for its motto "First in the Empire." Already its members had won distinguished honours, and the Corps would be honoured more as it played up to those traditions. • :.

Col. Rishworth responded, and paid a tribute to General Robin for the manner in which he had. seen the necessity of establishing the corps, which, hitherto, had not been thought of. He added that last year, there were thirteen officers in the Dental Corps; now there were 61. That showed, a. full appreciation by all concerned of the work done by the corps. (Applause.) The proceedings concluded with the singing of ''God Save the King."