THE CHIEF VETERINARIAN

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 262, 29 July 1908, Page 8

THE CHIEF VETERINARIAN

MRi J, A. CILRUTH TO LEAVE NEW ZEALAND. A VIUTOKIAN APPOINTMENT. A Press Association-cablegram from Melbourne states" that Mr. J. A. ■Gilruth, Chief Veterinarian for the flow Zealand Government, has been appointed Professor of Veterinary • Pathology to the University of Mel-bourne-and Director of the Stock Research .Institute,. Melbourne', at a salary of £1000 a : year.' . Oy.er a "fortnight ago The Dominion" published a.; statement bearing up6n\. the" appomtment, on which occasion Mr.,. Gilrutfi authorised us to deny the rumour'that'hp was about to 'accept an Australian ; appointment. ■ The matter of Mr. Giliruth's'intended change of address cropped up in-the'House on Friday', last, when the Hon. Mr. M'Nab, Minister for Agriculture, in ..speaking to 'the .first item on the Estimates, said he-had received no notice whatfrom,Mr.'Gilruth that he wasdissatisfied.with;..his...'.present position. The' possibility of his; Resignation had never been suggested to him (the Minister). Mr. Gilruth was' a "ver'y : 'valuable' officer, but he "(Mr. 'M'N.ab) ; -did-np'tpry-into- his private business!. Since the-House last met the'salary of the Chief - .Veterinarian had' been increased by "£so;peri,annum.. To ask Mr/ Gilruth what hjs views were under the circumstances wb'itld" be a pieccv of impertinence. Tho Minister was at all times ready to receive and hear the views of the lowest to-the highest officer in the service.

The Minister had no knowledge of the appointment'tintil it appeared in the Press yesterday; Alr._ Gilruth himself stated that it was,the,-first intimation ho had. received of tho, apppintment, which had been, under offer' to-liim for some time past. In fact, there were still uncompleted arrangements in connection with the matter. The Institute referred',to was being reorganised and was for the future to be under the control of the 'University of Melbourne. It was, the .first :appointment of . the kind in Victoria, and , initially thero would bo a good deal'of general organisation to attend-to before the - more., spientific research work was given ■ the attention to which it was entitled. , v '

. Mr. J. A. Gilruth,,M.li.U.V.S;, is -a Ziative •of-Forfarshire/(Scotland), and.was educated at Arbroath and Dundee. At Glasgow and London he . studied, law . and veterinary Roience, and, dropping the former,, he'.practised,, the fatter':-successfully, at' Home". . In 1893. ,he ; , decided: to come out to New Zealand, and -atonce .received - a Government appointment, which, three years- later '.developed ;into 'the. position of Chief Veterinarian . to", the' Government. Mr.' Gilruth lias visited the Old Country since then, and on one occasion took the opportunity of ; a couno of-study at th-< Pasteur Institute in Paris.'

,'ilr. ; (J:.-;J;':,Keakcs, M.K.U.V.'s;, the Assistant"' Chief Veterinarian, who is at pre-sent-on '.a : ,visit-to England, -is expected, to arrive back nest month." Jt'is more than probable , tliat Mr. Keakes will become' Uiiief Veterinarian. .-V TRIBUTE FROM THE FARMERS. CONGRATULATIONS AND REGRETS. Mr. Gilruth's appointment was 'the subject of 'congratulatory ; but regretful references at the Conference of tho, Farmers' Union yesterday. The President (Mr. J. "G., Wilson) informed the Conference of the'news, and referred 'to the, great respect "\vhich the' New Zealand farmers had : for Mr. Gilruth.' His loss would be very widely and'keenly, felt. (Hear, hear;) To him personally it was a great disappointment. Mr. Gilruth was tho kind of man he had in his mind when ho advocated the establishment in Now Zealand of a chair'of Veterinary or Agricultural Science. He o'puld'not imagined niore suitablo man.- He ;was .' a of great practical knowledgo • and-'great scientific attainments,' and a mail .of . the right character for such work. ; He , had a wonderful gift of making his' differehfc subjects particularly clear to his hearers. (Hear, bear.) It was,a great misfortune; to; Zealand that he'was going'away, but as it was to his own.advancement they would. 'all be. glad on that account. Some of them ,-wero aware that his position , in' the. Department lately had not been altogether a bed of roses. In regard to a ' chair., of Agricultural Science, New' Zealand's loss was all'.' tho. greater from. tho' fact'; that';Mr..'Gilruth know intimately this country's requirements, • a knowledge which a man,from Europe would take a long time' to- acquire;

" Major; Bell (Auckland) said the farmers of Auckland' looked upon' Mr. Gilruth as a friend. 'Whenever a farnlerhad wanted Mr. Gilruth's assistance h'e had always shown • a willingness/to. come, and never seemed io thing it any trouble to do all. that he could. This' was the' general'feeling all over th'e Auckland/province. (Applause.) , Mr. Richards (Levin) regretted that the New' Zealand Government did not pay its best "specialists sufficient to retain them. Victoria: had'been ready to pay '£1000 a year to secure Mr; Gilruth, and tbe New.Zealand Government. ought to Jiave paid the same to retain him._ (Applause.) ...

The President moved :—"That this Conference regrets'very much that New Zealand is to lose..'the_ services.,of 'Mr. Gilruth, the Chief Veterinarian, but wishes to place on record the : farmers' great appreciation of the work he. has done for. them, and 1 - congratulates him on Jiis appointment to such an important' position in Melbourne.". The motion' Was carried with acclamation. : (Mr.' Gilrutli's resignation was a subject of discussion in the- House of Representatives last', night;' as reported in , another column.) \ . ♦• .