The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-02-21
DENTAL BOARD SUED.
DR.. Edwin Brown Asks for Twenty
five Thousand Damages.

that the state board of dental exam
iners, the Washington State Dental
association and the National Dental
association have entered into an un-
lawful conspiracy to pervert the in
tent of the law, and to use it to ad-
vance unlawful ends.
DR.. Edwin J. Brown claims $25,O0O
damages from George w. Striker. j.
M. Meyer, "A Stark Oliver and w. A.
Fishburn, members of the state board
of examiners, which in 1903 refused
him a certificate allowing him to prac-
tice dentistry.
To Drive Out Dentists.
He ALLEGES that the examiners have
not executed the law fairly and i'm
partially; that they have arbitrarily
and wrongfully used the provisions of
the statutes solely to carry out illegal
ends, and to crush out the dentists in
this state who resort to advertising
in their business.
No man who advertises his bust
ness has been allowed a certificate
since the meeting at Spokane in 1909
Mr.. Brown is quoted as saying.
"There were Is or Is dentists Who did
not advertise practicing in Seattle
without license at the time l was
arrested for that offense, and only one
of them was arrested, and the case
against him was dismissed. Forty
arrests have been made among the
advertising dentists, and eight con-
victions have been secured
DR.. Brown says that the law has
been executed by the state officials
as if advertising were the crime, and
that those who do not advertise nave
been freely allowed to practice,
whether they have licenses or not.
Putting On the Gag.
The complaint also states that DR..
Brown took the examination which the
state board prescribed, and that he
answered more questions correctly
than the majority of those VINO were
granted certificates, but that he was
not allowed a certificate to practice.
1.-The statute plainly states that
those who pass the examination shall
be given certificate and allowed to
practice in this state" the doctor is
quoted as saying. But, as matter
of fact, the board presents an agree
ment to be signed. which binds one,
in consideration of being allowed to
follow the profession of dentistry. not
to advertise, and to follow in ones
practice any and all Regulations the
that 1 tripped up. The requirement
is obviously illegal, and 1 refused to
agree to it, Since then 1 have used
every means to have the papers gone
over by disinterested persons. I Of
fered to drop my suit against the
board and conform to their regula-
tons if such a committee should de-
eide that 1 hadn't fairly passed. But
no means have sufficied to get hold
of those papers.
Crime to Study Dentistry.
"a popularity of the present law is
that it makes it a penal offense to
study dentistry in Washington. the
law was passed at the instance of the
dental colleges, and there are none in
the state. It provides that no one
can even take the examination who
and young man who should try to
study in the office of the best dentist
in Washington would be subject to
arrest if ne followed exactly the same
course that ne would follow in a dem
tai school. Many of the best dentists
in the United States have no diplomas,
and by no possibility could such a
dentist move to this state and begin
a practice, as even the board can not
grant him the right.
Il shall advance the contention in
my suit that the statute is uncOnsti-
tutional. 1t is doubtful if any law is
constitutional that grants a purely
arbitrary power over mans living.
have diploma from one of the best
colleges in the country, and I passed
their examination, yet because I re-
fused to agree not to advertise, the
board has used arbitrary power to
Cypress me, and try to take away my
way of making living"
DR.. Brown is reported to be con-
Quoting dental establishments at Spo-
kane, Tacoma and Portland, as we'll
as in Seattle.