OTAGO PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11402, 20 April 1899, Page 5

OTAGO PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY.

The first 'annual ' meeting of the Otago ' Pharmaceutical- Association was held last night in theVopms of-.the association, M.L.A. buildings, and was'Wei! attended! Mr W. Wardrop, in tha unavoidable absence of the president (Mr T... W,' Kempthorne), was in the chair, ' : . •_ ' ■ ';■". *■ . Mr JVood»yard, ' the treasurer, ■ read the balance sheet, which showed that the receipts amounted- to £83 2s/ lid; and that there was . a credit balance of £22 8s Bd. The liabilities, he mentioned,.were .nil,- and there were assets ! amounting to about,£42.*.; . The Clmirnjan, iirmoviiig the adoption of the report and balance sheet, expressed regret at the absence of tiieir worthy president, who, if he had been-in town, would doubtless have been present to 'aot- in, the capacity of chairman. Taking the report altogether it was most satisfactory. -There'were certainly many ■ things.-the committee-would have liked to see done during the Vyeaiy'-but it was well known that reforms brought "'about by spontaneous combustion were dangerous, and did not stand the test of time.' It-was reforms that had been brought about by mature consideration that were permanent and became fixed. The little that had been donp'by the association during the year had- been in the direction of progress and advancement. , He hoped the incoming committee, would do more for the association, and would command more influence at the hands of the trade than- had been bestowed in the past. He trusted :that further reforms would be given effect to in the coining year. One thing he'felt very keenly was that the rooms opened .had, cot been taken advantage of to the extentythat-was.expecled. When the association was. started it ..was intended that they should hire a ;r6om for each meeting, but that matter was put before Mr lyempthorne, who thought.they should have rooms of their own.'Mr K&npt-liorne had generously paid' the.'firsf -year's, rent, and when the young members-, thought.what he had done for them-they shouUVshow their appreciation more1 than they ljjl- done! Mr Kempthorne had further promised to- pay another year's rent, and he (the"chairman) hoped 'that young [ members would take more advantage of the | rooms. t After.'referring' to the success of the picnic and crk'lcej, match,-, the chairman went on to refer to/the.fact that, the Pharmacy Bill had beon forced'through"; withoutI'any of the suggestions' of the'association being given effect to. There wer.e several very glaring defects in the'j bilj., ;Men and women could enrol themselves who-had no more right to do so than thejna-n at the corner of the street.

They, however, could-not blame these persons for taking advantage' of the opportunity the Government 1 had •' gifen them. At the same time it-seemed a' great injustice to men who had studied hare! ancipaid their fees that these men and women should be crowded into the /anks o f chemists. '-'Notwithstanding all this,1 it was }a :goocl thing.'!thut those unjustly dealt with 'should have had a training and studied, and though they might feel that a 'great injustice had been/done, it was better that they should have passed their examination than haye crawled into the ranks, as so many were doing r'&t"present. It was,almost compulsory that the. Pharmacy Board should prepare something to lay before next sitting of Parliament. It was far hotter that they should get a Pharmacy .Bill that was complete in dealing with •plinrmaoy"affairs, and a poisons bill as well. ' Those (wo- things should go together. However, they must submit to the present slate of things, and the Pharmacy Board must make the'bcßt of it. The'matter of shortening! the hours had been brought before ihf! city.anil suburban chemist,?, and he thought,' withdus exception, the idea had been agreed to. 'This . was a matter that required , further" attention at the hands of the committee,:; and if they could bring- about closing at 9 o'clock they would imvo done a yerjt good thing, perhaps they might creep another half hour. Another tiling the committee, might lake into consideration, ■•raa-tho WedneSday 'half-holiday. In other towns' they' were, observing this, ami lie thought that-if it -was-introduced here, it would not, result in any- loss to master chemists. -The finances were in a most satisfactory condition. •During-the incoming year they would not 1)B at the expense of fnrnituVo. so-that it might; lin expected that there would bo a larger credit balimcß at the end of the coming year. W.hHa they had something in hand, he hoped the committee would.not.be extravagant; Let thorn try and increase their litllo nest'egg, instead.of reducing it. Ho referred briofjy .to the'existence of, tha association having bad a .beneficial effect in bringing about friendly relations in the trade, and banishing, antagonism. ■ Mr T. John-stone.-in seconding the motion for adoption, was pleased that the association Lad done so well the first year, and he thought they might now consider'it as standing on a firm basis. There was no doubt the Pharmacy Bill was a very crude one. and he proceeded to point out several anomalies in.it. The fact was that the bill wan' drafted by persons wholly unacquainted with the trade. The motibnforthc adoption of the balance sheet and the report, thirlatter of which has already been published, was carried. The following office-bearers were elected: —President. 'Mr T. W. Kempthorne; vicepresidents. Messrs S. .S. Bannister and W. Wardvop; horn treasurer, Mr -K. 0. Woodward ; lion.- secretary, Mr R. Palmer; lion, auditor, Mr.J.Thomson; committee—Messrs A. Bagley, T. Johnstpue, R, A. Ewing, T. P. Wills, D. White, and E. White. It was resolved that-the committee go into tho question of handling patent medicines at a small profit and report to a future meeting I to bo held two'montlislience: that a book be

kept open in the rooms for over-doses and incompatible prescriptions, and that such prescriptions bo oritioised by members, and finally brought before the members of the Medical Association. He-solved—" That a hearty vote of thanks he passed to Mr (i. M. CampbeJ) for ilie painstaking and efficient manner in which lie had acted as secretary, and that the association regretted thai jt was owing to his removal tp Sydney that they wore losing Mb services. Further, (hat they wished him eyory success and prosperity in his future career, and that a copy of this resalijtiqu be sent to him." On the motion of Mr Woodward, it was resolved—"That the sum of two guineas: be voted for the purchase of a memento to ba presented to Mr Campbell, and, that every member bo asked to supplement the sum voted; -the presentation -to be made at the annual dinner next. Wednesday." A hearty vote of thanks was tendered to the oul-going committee for thejr services during the past year, and a vote of thanks to the chairman. for presiding, terminated th» meeting. '