1.—7.

10

[E. C EVANS.

all I consider is necessary. I think it would be very unfair to turn men out of practice who are really capable men. 143. How about those who have simply set up for themselves, as compared with those who have had to go through the training required —who have paid a premium and apprenticed themselves? —I had to go through all that in England. 144. But others may not be similarly circumstanced to yourself. It would have been better, would it not, for those wanting to get into the profession not to have gone to the expense of paying a premium or of apprenticing themselves at all, but to have started up and practised on their own account and trusted to get it in this way ? Do you not think that to allow unregistered men to practise would be unfair to those who have had to go through the training and to pay premiums ? —I think that so long as a man has served a certain time at dentistry he should be entitled to demand a practical examination. I have not the time to study theory, and at present, like the members of the Dental Board, who have just admitted that they would not like to be called upon to go up for an examination at present, I am not prepared to go up for a theoretical examination, but I can guarantee that I could satisfy the Board I was fit to practise if they would give me a practical examination. 145. Mr. EU.] Were the two dentists by whom you were engaged in Dunedin registered men? —Yes; Mr. Collins is on the Dental Board in Dunedin now. 146. As an examiner? —Yes. 147. He occupies the same position as these gentlemen here in that respect? —Yes. 148. Is Mr. Armstrong a registered man? —Yes. I have also been with men who have passed their examination in America. Dr. Merrel, of Melbourne, was an American-qualified man. I have also been with an English-qualified man. 149. What was the nature of your work with the latter? —I did extracting, gave gas and local anaesthetics, did fillings and crown and bridge work, made gold plates, and did all sorts of plate-work. 150. On the patients?— Yes. 151. You did extractions for the patients? —Yes. 152. And fillings? —Yes. During my time I have taken out thousands of teeth, have fitted in hundreds of plates, and have made any number of bridges. When I landed in New Zealand, a little over three years ago, bridge-work was hardly practised in the colony. 153. The Chairman.]] You come before us, I understand, to make objections to this Bill?— Yes; to protest against men being turned into the streets without being given an opportunity of showing they are capable men. 154. Will you point out to the Committee in what way this Bill differs from the present law with regard to your case —you have read the Bill ? —Yes; it says in the Bill that all men who are not registered shall be prosecuted —or something to that effect —if they attempt to practise. 155. Is that not the present law? —I really could not say. A good many unregistered dentists have been practising in the colony and have been had up before the Magistrate, and have won their cases. That is what led me to spend all my money in setting up on my own account. 156. I would like you to point out to the Committee what difference there is between the provisions of the present Act and the Bill introduced by Mr. Sidey. Perhaps the Bill would make it worse for you than the present Act? —I think it throws us out altogether, without any chance at all being given us of proving that we are able to practise. 157. But does not the present Act do that? —Not that I know of. Ido not think so, because, as I have said, I have read of men having been brought up and having won their cases. So that proved there was nothing in the old Act to stop a man from practising. 158. How is it that you do not call yourself a dentist? —That is the only thing in the Act that we cannot do. It says that a man shall not call himself a dentist unless he has passed an examination —unless he is registered. 159. Can you recover fees under the old Act? —Not that I know of. 160. Does not the Act provide for those two things just the same? —I really could not say. 161. Mr. Ell.] Will you please read clause 21 of the Bill and tell us what the effect would be? —I do not think it says in the old Act that the words " dental company " should not be used. 162. The Chairman.] The old Act does not go into it so minutely? —No, it does not. Then I see it says in the old Act that a man can demand an examination so long as he can show testimonials from a foreign dentist. 163. Did you ever demand an examination? —No, I have never demanded one. On one occasion I went to see Mr. Hoby about a billet as an assistant, and he told me that I had no right to demand an examination. That was nearly three years ago. Mr. Hoby: I said that you could not unless you served another three years' apprenticeship. If you had served three years' apprenticeship in England, you could. Witness: You did not tell me that at the time, Mr. Hoby. 164. The Chairman.] Are you speaking on behalf of other unregistered dentists? —For myself and the other unregistered men practising in the colony. 165. Have you got authority to speak for them? —No. 166. Mr. Sidey.] I want to know whether you attempted to qualify in the Old Country, Mr. Evans? Did you apprentice yourself in the Old Country?— Yes, I was an apprentice, but I was not bound. The reason why I did not go up for examination was because it would have been such an expense going to the dental school for two years. I should have had to go to the dental school for two years and keep myself during that time. A lot of men in England go to a dentist and spend a' few hours a day doing practical work in order to study about four hours a day at the college, and then they go up for examination after two years; but I was not able to do that.