DISTRICT VETERINARY CLUBS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4335, 28 October 1921, Page 1

DISTRICT VETERINARY CLUBS.

A COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME. \ ‘ In order, to overcome the seemingly insoluble problem of securing veterinary surgeons for the Hauraki Plains and Thames Valley districts Dr. Jensen has adopted the proposal mooted by the N.Z. Farmers’ Union brancn at Ngatea some time back ; namely, that veterinary clubs should be formed, He is reported as suggesting the following scheme : The first club to take in all that land between t.he Waihou and the Piako rivers north of the Te Await! stream. The second club will include the land on the eastern side of' the Waihou, situated between Thames and Te Arolia. The two remaining clubs will take in the large area of land on the western side of the Piako River. These, of course, arc only the probable areas. The annual subscription will be five guineas. Each club will have not less than 200 members, who shall elect a committee and appoint their veterinary •surgeon... Each club will have its own veterinary surgeon, thus making a total of four veterinary surgeons (three on the Hauraki Plains). The committees shall decide wha.t town will be their headquarters, and the various veterinary surgeons, upon their appointment!, will establish dispensaries. This is the main outline of Di\ Jensen’s scheme. Dr. Jensen for the past six weeks has been at work-trying to get the first club formed. Already over 160 farmers have signified their intention of becoming members of the club, which ! will include the land between the two ' rivers. Within a fortnight it is in- I tended to call a general meeting for ( the purpose of finally forming the club, electing a committee, and selecting beadquarters, with a view to appointing a veterinary surgeon.

COMMENT. The scheme as outlined sounds soemwhat ambitious for a start, although it is certainly on the right lines, and embodies what a completed scheme might be expected to com-, prise. Possibly it may Wave been better had one district been taken first, and the club formed and the scheme put into operation. The other districts would then have been able to profit by the experience of the initial venture. However/ so long as the membership in the various districts, is sufficiently strong to ensure the necessary financial backing the movement should be successful, provided, of course, that the services of four fully-qualified, capable, and conscientious veterinarians are available in the Dominion at. the present time despite the frequent assertions of the Government Stock Department that they are not obtainable. It will be interesting to note how the scheme works out.