ANIMAL HEALTH SERVICE

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1932, Page 19 (Supplement)

ANIMAL HEALTH SERVICE

CLUB TO BE DISBANDED.

NEW NORTH TARANAKI SCHEME.

The disbandment of the Animal Health Club and the reorganisation of the veterinary service to North Taranaki farmers under the sole supervision and control of Mr. J. Hill-Motion were decided upon at a meeting at New Plymouth yesterday. Mr. H. E. Blyde presided over 35 farmers. , The meeting had been called, said Mr. Blydc, because they had reached the parting of the ways. The scheme of providing veterinary service with subscriptions the basis of payment had not been a successs either financially or from the veterinarian’s point of view. The district embraced was too large. He had before him the resignation of Mr. Hill-Motion as from September 30. In the past two years Mr. Hill-Motion had done good work, but the fact remained the scheme was not a success.

He understood, said Mr. Blyde, that the veterinarian had an alternative scheme, making his contract with the farmer instead of through a third body. The scheme, he believed, could be made a success.

In answer to Mr. L. D. Hickford (Okato) Mr. Blyde said there were still subscriptions owing to the extent of about £BO. Some farmers had had months of service without paying. Excessive mileage had been the greatest drain on the finances of the veterinarian.

The Farmers’ Union was under no guarantee and had no liability in the matter. The principal cause of the position was lack, of members. There were 200 subscribers, and to secure those they had had to make the district larger than was originally intended. Fully 100 more were required. Mr. E. B. Corbett (Okato) thought the bad working of the scheme was due to the fact that some farmers had had far too much service and others scarcely any.

Mr. Hill-Motion expressed a. desire to continue his work in North Taranaki. Without any guarantee from the union he had had to carry on from the subscriptions which had not always been forthcoming. He had no direct alternative to the present scheme, but improvements could be made. ; He suggested devoting two days a week, to each of the Okato, Urenui and Inglewood districts and instituting depots at which messages could be left. Urgent cases in districts where he was not due on the day he was required could be made the subject of a charge for mileage. To Mr. W. J. Freeth (Pukearuhe) the chairman said steps were being taken to recover the outstanding subscriptions. They had perhaps been rather lax and not quite fair to the veterinarian. Mr. A. J. Luxton (Omata) advocated having the subscriptions in future collected, cithei' by the clubs or the veterinarian, by giving orders on factory cheques. It appeared from the discussion, said the chairman, that the points at issue were whether the Animal Health Club was to be carried on either with Mr. Hill-Motion or another veterinarian, or whether it was to be disbanded and the service left to Mr. Hill-Motion. That the club be disbanded as from September 30, that this meeting endeavour to promote and support a new scheme was moved by Mr. C. H. Sorenson (Hillsborough) and seconded by Mr, C. J. Harris. If he carried on, said Mr. Hill-Motion; he would do so on the previous lines, He suggested an “umpire” committee be elected to support the service, each district to be’represented. The motion was carried. The establishment of medicine depots in each district was agreed upon, and the advisory committee to assist Mr. Hill-Motion in his control of the new scheme was elected, comprising Messrs. J. F. Phillips (Urenui), C. H. Sorenson, Bridgeman (Okato) and Allen (Inglewood). Mr. D. Le C. Morgan undertook to do any secretarial work the committee required.