DENTAL CLINICS

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 May 1930, Page 6

DENTAL CLINICS

A FORM OF DOLE?

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

STRATFORD, May 6. At a meeting of householders last night, the Mayor of Stratford (Mr P. ■Thomson) said he had not been a supporter of school dental clinics, as at present constituted, believing that work of kind should bo done - by private members of the community. However, the Government of the country which each year was becoming more paternal, had seen fit to institute clinics treatment open to all children, "whether the parents wei e in a position to pay for work or not. Parents could make donations to the cost, but in Stratford, the response had been poor. It seemed that the

people of New Zealand more and more each vear expected further social services ' from the Government, and though able to do so, were not piepared to pay for those services, even when given at much less cost than if a private practitioner were patronised. He had hoard of some services beingrendered to the public as simply another form of the dole. Exception might be taken to the use _ of this term, but there was little difference between acceptance of the dole and acceptance of public services by people who could afford to pay, and did not. ‘ Those present at the meeting did not agree with the Mayor’s remarks.