1.—7.

4

[A. HOBY.

26. A New-Zealander writing to me from Queensland under date of the 4th July (last month) makes this statement: " There are many young New-Zealanders over here in the Commonwealth studying their professions. The Dental Acts of New South Wales and Queensland are most stringent, and no one can get a certificate without stiff examination, and unless thoroughly competent. In justice to those Maorilanders who are studying over here, I should like to see a clause inserted in the Bill, if not there already, to the effect that ' certificates from Dental Boards of the Commonwealth will be recognised as a qualification without further examination in New Zealand.' " The suggestion I make is that such a provision should apply only to New-Zealanders who have undergone examination in Australia? —Yes. 27. If this Bill be passed, and if it come under the term " Dental Bill," will it not interfere with the chemists who are practising some branches of dentistry where there are no dentists at all 1 I should not have thought so. I do not think it ought to prevent them from extracting teeth and from doing little things that it might be desirable they should do, and which are very needful in country districts. 28. Do you think it is desirable that there should be provision made to enable chemists in sparsely settled districts to do such dental work, because I have a communication here from some chemists who state distinctly that they have been in the habit of carrying on dental work? —The only objection to that is that it gives them a legal status. It would be almost making them dentists, would it not ? 29. If they were to be called upon to declare that they were practising the extraction of teeth only, would you have any objection to it from a dentist's point of view? —I do not think so. 30. What you dentists desire is to raise the status of the profession, primarily? —That is so, as far as I am aware. 31. Have you considered the suggestion that a dental hospital should be provided for the poor people? —Directly a school was established that would be the first thing to do. That would be the only way in which a student could get his teaching—to have a hospital where patients could conic and where free work would be done under the superintendence of a senior dentist. 32. You think the profession as a profession does not look upon it in an unkindly way? — Oh, certainly not. Of course, such things are always abused. I have seen people in sealskin jackets come to have free work done. The benefit would be very great, and it is the only way in which students can learn —I do not see any other way. 33. Mr. Baume.] What lines do you propose shall be taken? —When dentistry is under the control of the Senate of the University ? 34. Yes? —Of course what I would like to see —I am speaking personally now--would be apprenticeship to private individuals done away with and the whole course taken at the Dental school. 35. Compulsorily? —Yes. Of course, I am only giving you now what I think would be the ideal. 36. What sort of a scheme do you anticipate the Senate will put forward —one based on somewhat similar lines to the Victorian scheme? —Yes; but personally I would like to see the American model copied rather than the Victorian. The Victorian one follows almost exclusively the English lines. 37. What university, or what lines should be followed —I mean to say that in America there are differences? —Yes, but the same principle exists all through America. 38. Which is the typical university —which is the university that may be regarded as the one we should copy? —The Dental School of the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. There are several schools in Philadelphia, but the one attached to the university is the one I refer to. 39. In what material points would their course differ from the course laid down by the Examining Board here at the present time? —The examiners know that a pupil has served three years' apprenticeship, and that is all they do know. In a school such as the University of Pennsylvania a man has to go through a certain course each year and perhaps pass an examination every year, and very branch of the work is taken. 40. Your idea would be to copy the American system rather than the English? -Yes. 41. Is the standard of the University of Pennsylvania a higher one than the Victorian standard ?—They are both a four-years course. I think they are somewhat on an equality. 42. I hardly mean in length—l mean in regard to the nature of the work done?—l should think they are very similar. In the hospital in Victoria they take apprentices, but they allow them to apprentice themselves there or to private individuals whichever they like—so that it is really a mixture of the two systems. 43. The result would be a hardening-up of the examination and the training altogether would it not? —I think so. 44. And those who qualified under the scheme which you suggest, if it were taken up by the University, would be persons who had gone through a much more thorough training than is possible at present ?—Yes. For instance, I receive a pupil, but I cannot teach him anything in extracting. JPhe only way in which I can teach him is by letting him see what I do. I cannot say to him, " Extract that tooth." But in a hospital the man is told to extract the tooth and the patient being a free one, he does it, and so he learns. 45. What happens at the present time? You say that you cannot tell a pupil of yours to extract a tooth. Do I understand that a person becomes a dentist and has a certificate who has never extracted a tooth in his life?-No, because he gets people- boys and acquaintances of his own—who want teeth extracted, and they come in for free extractions. It is the same with filling teeth. My pupils get their own friends to come in, and prepare the cavities under my suner vision and fill them. J r 46. Do you know of the existence of any list which would be of assistance to the Senate in coming to a conclusion as to which institutions they could recognise as providing an examination