The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE. AUGUST 21, 1966.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1839, 21 August 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE. AUGUST 21, 1966.

Tub change in {Jig portfolio of Lands and Agriculture has not come | before it was needed, and although wo do not expect great things from tho now Minister, it is not too much to expect that ho will speedily get to work to improve the condi'iocs under which the Veterinary Department has been working for many years past. It is not generally known that thore is at tho head of these departments a Secretary who could bo improved upon in many respects, and who has never shown any symptom^

ot an mHated desire to hoip the Veterinary Department to attain the best result's that it was and is capable of achieving in the interests of tho colony. livery year we are treated to a beautifully illustrated picture book entitled tho Annual Deport of tho Department of Agriculture, in. which lino photographs of this gentleman and many members of his numerous rv, • c 1.1 - _

stalls not infrequently appear —not however, with the object of showing what fine, sleek, healthy-looking fellows they are ; but presumably to convince the intereste i readers that thero is somebody thero to do some-, thing. Tho photographs usually depict the Secretary seated in the contro of a group, also seated, and all are engaged at their usual occupation, that is sitting, and one is left to .t— i i

imagine what they have all been doing or int -ml to do, for tho explan--atory note at tho bottom merely tolls you who they aro. Then there are P»ges upon pages of dry, uninteresting drivel detailing events that are of little or no interest to tho farmer and of far loss u’ility. Occasionally a useful bit of information is contained in the reports of the departmental experts which aro also included in the book, so that tho many hundreds of pounds which tho book costs annually are not absolutely wastod. Still you may read f ]».: f 4’-, i-.-. ___ 1

that book from cover to cover and study the best holiday smiles dopicted on the faces of the groups, and you w ill not discover a traco of tho real conditions that govern tho inner i workings of that Department, or bo afforded even a suspicion of the many important things that might have kejrt those gentlemen more profitably busy while their photographs were being taken at the expense of the country, unless you concede that the rays of tin ir bright, happy countenances could add warmth to a potato patch on a-frosty morning or vio with the sunshine in bursting tho buds into bloom, j It may bo noted, howovor, that th \

radiant ninilos are re,'served for the lli'.ui Dili « stall and other I'avorod tdlie.als, Imf. not a ray earn bo claimed by fcl o Vet- rmury Department that lias boon working for vmirs under (lie aliadow of the Secretary's cliaplonauro am! tlm disadvantage of tho late Mimslor’s inanity. It will not bo forgotten that last, year, owing; to tho almost mihearnblo condition of tilings, tho invaluablo services of tho Cldof Votcrinariau, Mr J. A. Gilruth, woro ncaily lost to tlio colony, for ho actually tondoroil Ilia resignation to tbo Government and was only provailed upon to withdraw it on tho distinct understanding that certain vexatious conditions should cease and nomo necessary reforms take place. These were partly granted, but tho mistake was made of not rolioviug tho Secretary lor- Agriculture of any control whatever over tho Veterinary Department and placing Mr Gilruth in supremo command of a branch of tho I’ublic Service which ho alone know how to manipulate. Mr Gilruth’s achievements as a biologist have earned for him a world wide roputn ticn, and his researches are such that they cannot bo liamperod by aggravating red tape twisted round him by an ollicinl who has apparently novor grasped tho importance of his work ; yot this is ovidontly again happening, for wo road of tho Secretary for Agriculture displaying his old anlipatliy to tho scientist by stating that the rosults obtained by Mr Gilruth’s lirst

assi-tunt, Mr lieakes, in blackleg in ovulations woro no hotter than those obtained by tho stock inspectors Naturally, Mr Gilruth resents this

gratuitous piece of presumption on tho part ot an official who knows nothing whatever of bovine physiology and who is ovidontly prepared to sling mud at tho ( Herts of a scientific man whoso professional standing is recognised beyond tho British Empiro. To t.lio Secretary’s misguided taunt Mr Gilruth gives an dike ivo reply, and charges tho Department with keeping soerot, a compendious report though lie had asked for it on several occasions, and ho go y on to show that though tho results of inoculation of some •50,000 calves in the Taranaki district bad on tho wholo been very good they could not bo so satisfactory as if properly carried out undor tho super* vision of (qualified men, At the P'osent time, says Mr Gilruth, the inoculations wore not conducted by the veterinarians, though they had to take the blamo if anything wGnt wrong. Thus it will be seen that the matter has assumed a serious aspect, and has reached a point where decisive action by the Minister cannot longer be delayed. The interests of tho country demand an immediate change in the conditions, and if that change should oven necossitato tho rotirement of the Secretary in order that Mr Gilruth’s services may still be retained to continue tho magnificent work ho is doing, thero should be no hesitancy on the part of the Ministor to take that stop, for wo can well do without the picturesiquo photograq)h3; but wo cannot well do without the instructive and all-important technical reports and tho invaluablo work of the Chief Veterinarian.