The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-03-07

dental hyG4ene. Also that It IS ex- statute of 1919 The objection that this statute in terms authorizes only the employment of "a hyg1en1st, 15 set aside by MT. Culinan, who says that under a statute of construction passed by the General Assembly, the singular will be construed as a plural word.
 MT. Culinan's opinion is as follows:
 MT. Cullinan's Opinion.
 In compliance with your request, I am putting in writing the oral opinion which I gave you relative to the powers of the Board of Educa- tion to employ dental thygienists in the school system and the right of Taxation to appropriate money for this purpose. I find that in 1919, the General Assembly adopted an act authorizing the employment Of cation and the appropriation of moneys for the support of this work by the municipal bodies established to make appropriations. This stat ute is Chapter 293 of the Public Acts of 1919. The language, of said Act is that the board of education may employ a dental hygienist." The Gen. eral Assembly, has provided by law, that where it is necessary. in order to carry out the manifest intent of the statute, to conStrue theS ingular as plural, the same shall be done. It is very evident that an order to give said statute its proper appi- cation to a city of this size. the plu- ral would have to be read into the statute and the city given authority to engage dental hygienists.
 Aside from this express statutory auth orfzation, however. I am of the opinion that the Board of Education is authorized, under its general pow CTS to appoint dental hygienists in the public schools. The charter gives to the Board of Education all the rights vested in the school commit tees and selectmen of towns relative to school and educational matters. The General Assembly has. by stat ute, imposed upon these school bod cribed studies and has empowered them to teach such other studies as they may designate. The courts are very reluctant to interfere with dis any municipal board and if, in the discretion of the Board of Education, the pupils in the school system of the city should recei e instruction in dental hygiene, the Board of Educa- ton would be strictly within its 1e- gal rights in providing such instruc- tion and in employing dental hygien- ists for this purpose. The Common Council cannot, by ordinance with draw from any board its charter or state given powers and confer such powers upon another municipal board. It is, of course, a well known truStm, that a sound body is essential to a sound mind and if in the judg- ment of the Board of Education, in struction in dental hygiene will pro- mote the physical well-being and in- directly the mental betterment of the children. the Board of. Education may prescribe 1t as a subject for in struction. Under these conditions, the Board of Health would not, in my opinion, have any greater right to appoint the instructors for this branch of work in the school system than 1t would to name the instructors of physical culture or domestic science.
 I would therefore say to you that cation has the authority to employ dental hygienists for the public school system and the Board of Ap- portionment and Taxation has. au- .hority to appropriate moneys to the Board of Education for this purpose.
 MT Comley's opinion is as follows:
 Mir. ComIey's Opinion. l. Following your request that I ad- | wise you with respect to- the right of the Board of Education to request an l for educational work | m relation to dental hygiene, and the | power of the Board of Apportion- nent to grant such appropriation, l OCS lO SuDII4l AeT6W1In III Wr1IlnS, my opinion upon the subjects involv- | ed.
 In the first place, I can see no | necessary connection between the du- ies of the Board of Health as such, | and the program of dental hygiene | Is proposed by the Board of Educa- ion It seems to me entirely i'm practicable and unnecessarily to at empt to differentiate Between that part of the work which relates to in- 'truction and that which is concern Id with the health of the particular student To say that instruction in | dental hygiene was beyond the power of the Board of Education to | administer In our public schools be- ,ause incidental thereto was involved | he cleaning of teeth, would lead one |