DENTAL CLINIC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 May 1938, Page 7

DENTAL CLINIC

TRUST LANDS TRUST HELP SOUGHT EARMARKING OF GRANTS SUGGESTED PROMISE OF SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION The financial position of the Masterton Dental Clinic was fully discussed at last night’s meeting of the Masterton Trust Lands Trust, at which Messrs A. Donald and W. V. Madden, chairman and secretary respectively of the Clinic committee, at the invitation of the Trust, were present. A suggestion made by Mr Donald that in making capitation grants to the primary school committees the Trust should earmark a certain amount with which the schools could meet their liabilities to the Dental Clinic, was viewed in a favourable light by a number of the Trustees.' The chairman,.Mr J. McFarlane Laing, said he thought the sugestion was quite a good one, and assured Mr Donald that it would receive every consideration from the Trust.

Opening the discussion, Mr A. O. Jones, said that they all realised the difficulties the clinic committee were up against, due mainly to the poor response received from the parents. “You have done a lot of good work,” said Mr’Jones, “but the parents do not seem to respond to it.” Endorsing Mr Jones’s remarks, Mr Laing said the Trust had, in the past, taken a practical interest in the progress of Dental Clinic work in the district. They had become aware that the rent for the clinic rooms was not being paid, and the clinic was not being paid the fees to which it was entitled, and had felt that they would like to discuss the matter with the committee.

Mr Donald thanked the Trust for the invitation that had been extended, and apologised for the absence of Messrs H. E. Pither and W. R. Nicol, who were to have represented- the Lansdowne and Central schools respectively. In the past, observed Mr Donald, no child had ever been refused service, because the parent had not paid the fee. Now they were forced to try a new scheme whereby those who did not pay could not get treatment In reply to a question, Mr Donald said that people of all classes were in arrears with payments. It was not only poor people who sought the services of the clinic, but people in good positions, some of whom- did not pay their fees. The new policy was proving somewhat effective, and at the present time they had a credit, although it was not a big one. Hundreds of pounds ’ had been .wiped off unpaid in previous years, while the amount owing for last year alone was over £3OO. Referring to the rebate on \thfe clinic’s rent which had been made by the Trust, Mr Donald said that as soon as some of the arrears were got in they would do their best to pay off what was originally owing. They had carried on for 16 years, and were prepared to try to render the same service to the children as they had in the past. MASTERTON’S NEGLECT “Masterton is the only town in the Wairarapa,” said Mr Donald, “that has not a clinic building of its own.” Built by a Government subsidy of £2 for £l, he said, the buildings in most other towns were situated on Education Board property and were maintained by the board, the cost of heating and lighting being met by the school committee in each case. Returning to the position of the Masterton Clinic, Mr Donald read a statement of estimated expenditure and receipts for the present year which showed that with two nurses employed, and 90 per cent of the fees collected, they would have a credit of about £3O. When a third nurse was employed, they would be able to treat children from the Catholic schools and perhaps those under school age. That would bring in an increased revenue of £lB. The increase in expenditure, however, would include £3O towards the third nurse’s salary; extra heating and lighting, £7; extra laundry, £5 and and sundries, £l—a total of £43. That would reduce their credit over all to £5 6s, which was not' much to come and go on, said Mr Donald. Last year their income was £166 3s 3d, while their committments, without paying rent or their contribution to the nurses’ salaries were £223 10s 7d. Mr Jones: “If the Trust were to grant you free dental rooms, you could then take another nurse and treat all children including those in Catholic schools?” Mr Donald: “As soon as the new nurse arrives we will treat children from Catholic schools.” In reply to a suggestion by Mr Krahagen that something in the nature of a Queen Carnival might be organised to raise funds, Mr Donald said that many things of that type had been tried in the past. They had had money for a time, but it had soon disappeared. Mr Laing: “It seems that we must impress the position on the parents that the fee must be paid, and that it is a duty to do so and a serviceable one.” POSITION OF COMMITTEES Replying to a question by Mr Laing regarding the responsibilities of the school committees, Mr Donald said that when the Dental Clinic scheme was first launched the school committes undertook the responsibility of supporting it. .Mr Donald pointed out that in the case of the country schools.

each committee was still responsible for their school’s quota. Out of the £ll6 received in fees last year, he said, nearly £BO come from the country schools. Certain schools could donate money for the purchase of wireless sets, while hundreds of pounds were owing in fees to the clinic. “The health of the children should be just as important as the education of the children should be just as important as the education of the children,” said Mr Donald, in making the suggestion that the Trust should make the capitation grants on the condition that a certain amount was set aside to be paid to the Dental Clinic. Mr Krahagen: “It is possible that the Dental Clinics might come under the proposed National Health scheme?”

Mr Laing: “We can’t speculate on that.”

Mr Krahagen: “It should do. It is essential, very essential.” Mr Laing said Mr Donald’s suggestion with regard to the capitation grants appealed to him, and would give the Trust something to think about. Mr Grey said he considered that the parents who could pay should pay. “It is a downright shame the number of people in Masterton who will not pay their fees when they pan afford to,” he added. “They should be cut off the clinic.” *

Mr Donald pointed out that they had already been .forced to take action along those lines. If they could make that scheme pay, they hoped to be able to lay aside any grants received from the Trust to form a sinking fund, with which eventually, together with the Government’s £2 to £1 subsidy, they would be able to build their own clinic. Plans were already made out for a building which could be erected on the Education Board property in Victoria Street.

After some further discussion, Mr Laing thanked Messrs Donald and Madden, on behalf of the Trust for attending the meeting. “We will no doubt be happy to assist when possible in the future,” said Mr Laing. They would always be pleased to receive sugestions as to the best way in which they could render that assistance. Mr Donald thanked the Trustees for their attention and expressed the hope that they, would continue to associate with the clinic in the work which was being carried on in the interests of children.