VETERINARY TALENT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 404, 13 January 1909, Page 5

VETERINARY TALENT.

, THE FUTURE OF A PROFESSION. WHAT MR. GILRUTH FORESEES. Mr. JL A. Gilruth, ex-chief vetemarian of Now Zealand, foresees—or at least hopes for— a bright future for the veterinary pro- / fossion in New Zealand. ,To ' a Dominion s reporter, before he left for his now position in Melbourne, Mr. Gilruth suggested some of the things considered necessary to bring this brighter future into reality. Veterinary stock Inspectors. "More veterinary skill," he said, "is neces- ,, eary in tho Department of. Agriculture. Much money spent, and more will be spent in the future, over the inspection of animals, and it will be found necessary to employ either skilled vetorinarians or men who navo received a training in animal public health." " ' What would be'their test? "Examination-and experience," Men Who Succeeded. What is tho outlook for' private practitioners? % "In some districts there'is very little opening, owing partly'to the low prices of stock, except .horses,*and partly to the sparseness of settlement. ' But in other parts the need for practitioners' who will treat cases of sickness and perform necessary operations is certainly a very real one. This is. proved by the success attending Mr. Brodio, of Hawko's Bay,; Mr. Edgar, of Wanganui ;■ Mr. M'Hattie, of Leoston; Mr. Taylor, , of Masterton; Mr. Owen, of Palnlerston North; and Mr. Denskin, whom I selected at Home for the Veterinary Association of Balclutha two years ago." .fl ' . , I A Bar,to Progress. , "One of the; primary necessities' of tho veterinary profession is that legislation shall bo passed to prevent men who are purely quacks from cAUing themselves voterinary surgeons. In a country that insists on plumbers and'other tradesmen showing some guarantee of capacity, it seems absurd that anyone may /fraudulently- claim, by implication, to be capable of treating diseases of stock and of operating. • For several iyears an individual, who is. not-qualified, and has been in> gaol • more than once, has practised as a veterinary surgeon in' New Zealand, and - apparently the law permits this, and even permits him to claim to be a graduate of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, although ho-is not. His-treatment-of stoojc in some cases that havo come under my notice has been,scandalous. Such a state of~affairs naturally' does ■jiofc' encourage,. • parents'. to spend money in'equipping a son for a profession in whjph this is possible." A First Footing. '. . . - '. "

Are 'there openings for new men ? "In many other centres I think a veterinery practitioner would make a > very > good living, especially if he joined it with farming, or if a. system were in vogue of' granting a retaining fee from the State for definite work." ■> W ; ould thoy succeed where veterinary associations fail? / "After a veterinary association at Palmerston North fell through, Mr. Brodie succeeded.V,., • i Do you.'say veterinary associations are not of much use? t are very useful for the task of first \ introducing a veterinarian into a district " How could the suggested system of i State - retaining fee be worked? "Well, m a district like Pahiatua, for example, a veterinarian might take up the dairy inspectipn, reporting monthly to the Government from the point of ,new-of hy=* , gieno and contagious disease, disease likely to affect the milk supply, 'advising the farmers' as well as informing the Department Other duties performed would be subject to payment by the/farmers. Thus veter-, inarians would bo encouraged to start practice in such" centres." , t ,- Train Our Youths In Melbourne. , ' ou H y° u .'""P 01 "! 1 thes e State-jaid menf v I think, if possible, the colonial youths should be given tho opportunity of becoming trained veterinarians, so that they could enter private practice 'or the State service." A State Veterinary School ? "That project seems to be in abeyance." Would you advise its revival? "Seeing that New Zealand has delayed so long that tho Melbourne University is" inau- , gurated it seems s inadvisable. The Melbourne University has a subsidy of over £4000 per annum, and, for" a start, until tho'New Zeav land Government finds out how* many students come forward, it would be better to spend a thousand a year on bursaries of £50 or £75 per annum for approved , -students to study at Melbourne. I estimate that at tho very lonest figure a school at Dunedm would cost £1500 per annum. If only five <fr six fresh students came forward each year, it would be far more expensive than sending the s youths to Melbourne." ■ Would New Zealand farmers be agreeable' to send their sons to Melbourne? "The additional expense would bo oulv equal to the difference in the fare over." '

State Proteges. . Having subsidised these students 'as, you suggest, howyiould the State ensure that it would obtain"tho s benefit r of their services afterwards? '• "That could be done. The State could stipulate that each student should insure his lifei for £500 and pay the necessary premiums, and at the end of his studies guarantee >to join the Government service heio for a period . of from three to five years, or refund the money spont on him. It would bo more satisfactory to take advantage of the large subsidy in Melbourne than to give a smaller subsidy to a home school, which would mean a less ofliciont one." *> It could be associated with Lincoln Colleeo perhaps? l b ' ''No, it would .be better associated with a medical school, because such • subjects as botany, chemistry, zoology, histology, physiology, therapeutics, and even pathology to a ( great extent arc common to both "

The Craduates of Lincoln College. - t- Is , eala o nd getting full value fiom , Lincoln Collose? i ■ "It is an admirable institution, and, especially under tho regime of Mr. Lowrie, it turned out some excellent graduates. But it is a matter for regret that somo of them could not have been retained for the Acrieultural Department, to disseminate' tho knowledge thoy gained." Were they old enough for that purpose? "Possibly not., It would be better if tho students entered Lincoln College about the ago of 20, after they have had experience of farm work and. have thoroughly made up their mtnds that farming is to be their career. Then, if they graduated at from 20 to 22 years of ago, they would be more fit to tako control of men. There should bo one or more tiavelling scholars , ips instituted, on tho lines of the French University, so that tho most brilliant students could secure enough money to visit such countries as France, and outer an institution Jiko tho Institut Agronomiquc (or higher agriculture) in Paris, or tho School of Horticulture at Versailles, or somo of the schools of forestry. It pays tho' Jndian.Government to do this, and it should p'ay'New Zealand."

Professors of Agriculture., Could Npw Zealand utilise them afterwards? , , "J think so—as professors of agriculture to disseminate their knowledge among the farmers of this Dominion. Such men would be fully equipped with the latest knowledge in the world s'agriculture."

•For Children's Hacking Corgh- at night Woods' Groat Peppermint Cure, Is. 6d. end' 2 3.