A NECESSARY MEASURE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17079, 7 July 1926, Page 4

A NECESSARY MEASURE.

REGISTRATION OF VETERINARIANS. RILL MEETS OITOSITTON. UNDUE HARSHNESS ALLEGED. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. Tile Hon. O. >J. Jlawken moved the second reading of the Veterinary Surgeons Rill, which provided that- after Jan. I next all persons practising as veterinary surgeons must lie registered by a board consisting of a registrar to be appointed from veterinary surgeons in the employ of the Agricultural Department, one person appointed on the recommendation of the Minister of Agriculture, and two veterinary surgeons appointed on the recommendation of the New Zealand Veterinary Association. The Minister staled that the Bill was necessary on account of the large number of valuable stock mm in the Dominion. The Leader of the Opposition said he thought the Bill was unnecessarily harsh on practical men who had not been through colleges, but who had been practising for many years. They had previously passed many Bills providing that those who were practising professions at the time should not he required to pass exams, and he thought that the principle should apply to veterinary surgeons. Air. Veiled denounced the Bill as harsh and revolutionary, taking away the existing right from those at present engaged as veterinary surgeons. The .Minister of Lands admitted that .some hardships might follow the passing of 11 io Bill, hut the time had arrived when settlers should know who were qualified men and who were not. The Hon. I). Buddo thought some concession should he made to those men now practising as veterinary surgeons, because if this was not dong there would he n great shortage of men capable of doctoring sick cattle. About half that class of work in the Dominion was done by unqualified men. Sir (1. Ilunler ami -Messrs. Savage ami .Field gave (lie measure qualified support. The Minister, in reply, said the Bill ditl not propose to stop a man now practising from continuing to do so. All it would do would prevent him describing himself as a veterinary surgeon. The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Stock Committee.