N.Z. VETERINARY SCHOOL

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27408, 22 July 1954, Page 10

N.Z. VETERINARY SCHOOL

HOUSE DISCUSSES SUGGESTION

COMMITTEE’S REPORT EXPECTED SOON

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, July 21.

The claims of Canterbury Agricultural College as the location of a veterinary school for New Zealand were advanced in the House of Representatives today, after the Minister of Agriculture (Mr K. J. Holyoake), replying to a question by Mrs E. E. McMillan (Opposition, North Dunedin), had said th'at the University Senate committee set,up to consider the desirability of establishing a school in New Zealand would submit its report to the Government shortly. Mrs McMillan was the only member to suggest an Otago site for the school. Other members preferred Lincoln or Massey Agricultural College. Hamilton and Auckland were also mentioned.

Mr T. P. Shand (Government, Marlborough) said he would *have liked to support the proposal r for a school in the South Island, but could not do so, as the veterinary school would ultimately have to be at Auckland, where the new medical school was to be opened. If it was there it would have the advantage of the medical school facilities, and be in the centre of a general farming area. In the meantime, however, the school ought to be at Canterbury Agricultural College, because that was the only place where it could be run in conjunction with Canterbury University College at small cost, said Mr Shand. j Mr S. W. Smith (Government, Hobson) said one would be hard put to find a better location for the school than Massey College, but if it could not be established there, then facilities at the Ruakura Research Station, near Hamilton, could be used. Mr J. K. McAlpine (Government, Selwyn: What’s wrong with Lincoln? Mr R. G. Gerard (Government, Ashburton): Oh, they want everything in the north. Mr Smith said the school had to be where the numbers of stock were greatest. The school need not be where the stock population was greatest, said Mr W. H. Gillespie (Government, Hurunui). Most of New Zealand’s small seeds were grown in Canterbury, but were tested at the Palmerston North station.

It had to be remembered that New Zealand this year could not find enough veterinary trainees to fill all the places available in Australia, Mr Gillespie said, and it was possible that the same would apply if a school was started in this country. The main problem was to find someone with sufficiently high qualifications to direct a school, and a very high salary would have to be paid. At present, there was a great need for veterinary surgeons, said Mr Gillespie, but some of the demand might be attributed to the fact that high prices were being paid for stock.