VETERINARY SURGEONS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27676, 4 June 1955, Page 2

VETERINARY SURGEONS

. VALUE TO SHEEP INDUSTRY

COMMENT BY MR A. P. O’SHEA OPPOSED Remarks made by Mr A. P. O’Shea, general secretary of Federated Farmers, at the annual conference of Waikato Federated Farmers about the usefulness of the veterinarian to the sheepfarmer, were opposed by delegates to the annual conference of the North Canterbury district of Federated Farmers yesterday. Mr O’Shea was reported to have said that in large parts of sheepfarming country veterinarians were of not much use. Mr W. H. Faulkner said that Mr O’Shea was entitled to his opinion, but he felt that the opinion was not that of farmers in general. Mr Faulkner considered that veterinary clubs in sheepfarming areas had expanded very considerably in the last few years. "I would suggest that this conference should dissociate itself from the statement made by Mr O’Shea. It gives a wrong impression,” he said. Mr J. F. G. Blakely, a stud sheep breeder, said he believed that the veterinary surgeon was absolutely essential in the interests of the health of stock.

The provincial president (Mr D. W. Gray) said he believed that Mr O’Shea was trying to show that the sheep industry would benefit more from the establishment of diagnostic stations“and research than from the establishment of a veterinary college. In the report from Hamilton published on Wednesday it was stated that Mr O’Shea had given reasons why Federated Farmers had voted against the establishment of a veterinary college at a recent meeting of the special committee set up by the senate of the University of New Zealand. Mr Gray said Mr O’Shea had been talking about, something that had been decided by the Dominion council of the movement.

A delegate: Should not any statement of this nature have ccme from the chairman?

Mr Gray: I think this should be taken in committee. We are bickering about something which may arouse oppositioh in other parts of the country. There were some cries of “No” when Mr Gray moved that the conference go into committee, but he declared the resolution carried. The conference then briefly continued the discussion in committee.