Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/261/165/
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 10:32:24+00:00

Document:
1. The law of Washington, Remington, 1915, §§ 8412-8425, which provides that only licensed persons shall practice dentistry, vesting the licensing power in an examining board of practicing dentists and declaring that every person of good moral character with a diploma from a reputable dental college shall be eligible and shall have a license if he passes examination, is not to be construed as vesting power in the board to grant or withhold licenses arbitrarily. P. 261 U. S. 167.
2. The statute indicates clearly, though not in terms, the general standard of fitness, and the character of examination required, leaving to the board to determine (1) what knowledge and skill fit one to practice dentistry, and (2) whether the applicant possesses them. P. 261 U. S. 169.
3. Delegation of these functions to a board is consistent with the federal Constitution. P. 261 U. S. 170.
Appeal from a decree of the district court permanently enjoining the appellants, two prosecuting attorneys, from proceeding criminally against the appellee for practicing dentistry without a license.
under § 266 of the Judicial Code. It was admitted that plaintiff was of good moral character; that he had a diploma from a reputable dental college; that he had submitted himself to the dental board for examination; that he had been examined, but had not passed the examination, and that, although refused a license, he had persisted in practicing dentistry. The board denied, by its answer, that it had acted arbitrarily in refusing a license, and this charge does not appear to have been further insisted upon.
Plaintiff rested his case solely on the claim that the statute violated the federal Constitution. It was conceded that a state may, consistently with the Fourteenth Amendment, prescribe that only persons possessing the reasonably necessary qualifications shall practice dentistry, Dent v. West Virginia, 129 U. S. 114, and that the legislature may, if consistent with the state constitution, confer upon an administrative board the power to determine whether an applicant possesses the qualifications which the legislature has declared to be necessary. The contention is that the statute purports to confer upon the board arbitrary power to exclude applicants from the practice of dentistry, and thus violates the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The district court held the act void on that ground, and issued a permanent injunction. Noble v. Douglas, 274 F. 672. Whether it erred in so holding is the only question presented for our consideration on this appeal.
shall be determined by knowledge of theory or by requiring applicants to demonstrate skill with the tools and materials of the profession; that it does not provide whether the examination shall be oral or written, or what percentages of correct answers shall be required to pass the examination, and that it does not require the keeping of records of the proceedings which could be used for purposes of review.
"in order to properly determine the good character of the applicant and the good standing of the college issuing his diploma, and to conduct the examinations upon subjects reasonably required in that profession."
not to attack the validity of the act. Thus, the highest court of the state has construed this statute as not conferring arbitrary power upon the board in respect to the scope and character of the examination. The statute has been in force for 30 years. The correctness of the views expressed in In Re Thompson do not appear to have been questioned by that court since. Under such circumstances, we should, even in the absence of controlling decision, decline to give the statute a construction which would render it void, unless compelled to do so by unequivocal language in the act. Knights Templars' Indemnity Co. v. Jarman, 187 U. S. 197, 187 U. S. 205. Obviously there is none of that character.
dentistry, the extent of knowledge in each subject, the degree of skill requisite, and the procedure to be followed in conducting the examination -- these are matters appropriately committed to an administrative board. Mutual Film Corp. v. Ohio Industrial Commission, 236 U. S. 230, 236 U. S. 245-246. And a legislature may, consistently with the federal Constitution, delegate to such board the function of determining these things, as well as the functions of determining whether the applicant complies with the detailed standard of fitness. Reetz v. Michigan, 188 U. S. 505. That the scope of the discretion here granted to the examining board was well within the limits allowed by the federal Constitution, and that it is not to be presumed that powers conferred upon the administrative boards will be exercised arbitrarily, is settled by Lieberman v. Van de Carr, 199 U. S. 552.
Appellees relied upon Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 U. S. 356. There, the licensing board habitually exercised its power arbitrarily, and discrimination was practiced. Seattle v. Gibson, 96 Wash. 425, and State ex rel. Makris v. Pierce, 113 Wash. 296, strongly relied upon by appellees, are not inconsistent with In re Thompson. The ordinances involved in these later cases were construed by the state court to vest in the city officials an arbitrary discretion to grant or withhold, and to revoke, licenses. Whether the constitution of the state permits delegation to the examining board of the power to ascertain and fix the essentials of fitness is wholly a state question. Welch v. Swasey, 214 U. S. 91, 214 U. S. 104; Bradley v. Richmond, 227 U. S. 477, 227 U. S. 482. It is not contended that the statute violates the state constitution in this respect.
* State ex rel. Smith v. Dental Examiners, 31 Wash. 492; In re Thompson, 36 Wash. 377, 379; State ex rel. Brown v. Board of Dental Examiners, 38 Wash. 325; State v. Littooy, 37 Wash. 693; State ex rel. Thompson v. State Board, 48 Wash. 291; State v. Littooy, 52 Wash. 87; Brown v. State, 59 Wash.195. See also State v. Brown, 37 Wash. 97.

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