VETERINARY SURGEON

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6442, 26 January 1924, Page 4

VETERINARY SURGEON

FOR TE AROHA DISTRICT ACTION OF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Nosworthy, has written to the Te Aroha Chamber of Commerce, per Dr. Pomare, in regard to the representations made by the Chamber in furtherance of the request of the Elstow Branch of the Farmers’ Union for support for their effort to obtain a veterinary surgeon. The Minister’s reply was as follows: “A deputation from the Te Aroha Chamber of Commerce waited upon me recently and pointed out the desirability of having a veterinary surgeon stationed in the Te Aroha district. I have since gone into the matter and it would appear that some misapprehension exists as to the duties of Government veterinary officers and relationship to the general farming community. Their duties embrace : (a) Meat inspection. (b) Dairy Inspection. (c) Investigation of schedule diseases. “Their relationship to the former is comparable to that which exists between the medical officers of the Health Department and the general community in respect to matters of health. In neither instance is it the duty of such officers to undertake work which falls within the category of general practice, although in a number of cases, and particularly where returned soldiers have been concerned, Veterinarians have done a good deal in the way of assisting farmers with advice when no qualified Veterinary Surgeon in private practice has been available. “The formation of veterinary associations is advocated by the Department of Agriculture as a means of obtaining the services of a qualified man. This has been done in certain localities, the association guaranteeing a private veterinarian a minimum income on his undertaking to practice in the district. “The Department would be only too pleased to assist any body of farmers forming such an association in securing the services of a suitable man.” The Minister's reply has been forwarded to the Elstow Branch of the Farmers’ Union.