CORRESPONDENCE STATE DENTAL SERVICE.

Evening Star, Issue 21508, 5 September 1933, Page 9

CORRESPONDENCE

STATE DENTAL SERVICE.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —In your issue of last evening the mayor (Rev. E. T. Cox) is reported to have said in the course of his speech at the opening of the conference of the New Zealand Dental Association that “ he understood that the Dental Association was entirely responsible for the State service to children, one of the very valuable contributions of dentistry to the community.” The above statement that the association was entirely responsible for the State service to children is quite incorrect. The fact is that the gentleman responsible for the Government adopting a State policy of free dental treatment of school children was the Hon. J. A. Hanan, when Minister of Education in the National Government during the Great War period, who, for the purpose of making a beginning with that policy, caused votes to be placed on the Estimates. Acting on the advice of Dr Pickerill. and later on the advice of Mr Owen V. Davies, of this city, no appointments of dental officers were made, for the reason that an opportunity should be given to dentists who were then serving in the war to apply, if they so desired, on their return, for such positions. After Mr Hanan resigned from the National Government his successor in office brought into operation the present scheme, with Colonel Hunter as director of the dental school service. It is also worthy of mention that it was the Hon. J. A. Hanan, when he first held the portfolio of education, who was responsible for the establishment of the New Zealand school medical service.—l am, etc., Osf, Wno Ivxows. September 5.