344 
THE AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
opportunity of urging in an emphatic and forcible manner the claims of the 
profession upon the country, and the opportunity having passed, we fear that 
it may be long ere another may present itself. 
The Sydney Morning Herald has contained several letters from knowing 
ones regarding the Incorporation Act, and of the five that have appeared only 
two bear the names of well-known pharmacists ; one from Mr. Bellemey, of 
Newtown ; another from Mr. W. T. Pinhey. The principal grievance complained 
of seems to be that the society wishes to secure professional rights to its 
members, and there are those who either deny those rights or dispute that the 
society is entitled to all that it claims. From a pharmacist’s standpoint, the 
only valid objection to the bill is that it is too indefinite, and leaves all the 
power in the hands of the council, not granting to the members even the right 
of making their own rules and bye-laws. The council is to do everything, and 
the members are to obey the council. What is really required is a measure 
that will give pharmacists an assured status, and will prevent the indiscriminate 
sale of poisons and the compounding of the same by unqualified persons. It 
may be that the time has not yet arrived for a measure of this nature to be 
introduced, and some little delay may occur in consequence of the financial state 
of this colony, and the difficulties that hamper the present Government; but 
most druggists would prefer a brief delay and the prospects of a first-class Act 
to pottering with the present Act, or introducing an Act that is neither useful 
nor creditable. 
It is rumoured that one of the delegates of the Conference from this colony 
has intimated his intention of retiring from that position, and rumour is already 
busy as to his probable successor. It has been suggested that the president 
is the proper person to send, but. as this was suggested and declined by the 
president at the first election of delegates, it is improbable that he will reconsider 
his determination and accept the position. The other gentleman suggested is 
Mr. J. S. Abraham, who would ably fill the position, and whose genial disposi- 
tion and professional ability and energy mark him as one peculiarly fitted for 
the position of representative of the colony in this important movement. 
The correspondence in the Herald on the Incorporation Bill, referred to 
above, is too lengthy for re-publication in your pages ; but the following reply 
made by Mr. Pinhey will give a general idea of the nature of the arguments 
urged against the measure : — 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “ HERALD.” 
Sir, — With reference to the letter appearing in your issue of Wednesday last signed 
“ An Observant Observer,” I may state that I only notice the matter, since the letter 
is an anonymous one, in order to correct certain misstatements contained therein. The 
writer of the letter in question states that the Act of Incorporation for the above-named 
society “introduces a new and most dangerous feature in colonial legislation.” That it 
is neither new nor dangerous is shown by the fact that the Royal Society and the 
Linnean Society of this colony have had similar Acts for some time past. However, in 
reply to the statement that this class of legislation “ has been found in England and 
throughout Europe to be incompatible with individual right,” I may state that almost 
every societj' of any standing is incorporated ; the pharmaceutical societies of Great 
Britain, Ireland, Canada, and those of every European country included. With reference 
to the bill being promoted by “ a small — a very small number of pharmacists,’ all I 
need say is that the matter was agreed upon at a general meeting of the society held 
three years ago, and that the society numbers upwards of 250. The statement that 
the promoters of this Act “ seek to regulate the admission of members into their 
vocation” is incorrect, since the bill will simply regulate the admission of members into 
a private society and not a vocation. The references to the University and Board of 
Technical Education are beside the question, since neither will be directly or indirectly 
affected. “An Observant Observer” states that the Act will deprive those who have 
studied in the department of pharmacy at the Technical College of the right to practise 
