WAVERLEY BRANCH OF THE FARMERS' UNION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 256, 30 October 1939, Page 2

WAVERLEY BRANCH OF THE FARMERS' UNION

\ ETERIN ARY SERVK E. (O ' n Correspondent • WAVERLEY. Oct. 27. X meeting • as held in the Legion of Frontiersmen's rooms on Thursday evening to consider the question 01 joining in the dairy factories by the .-heepiarmcrs to establish a veter.nary >erviee in the district. Mr. Andrew Eimslie. the president, was m the chair and there were about 20 farmers present. The chairman explained to the meeting the aims and objects and stressed the value such a veterinary service would be to the district, and stated such a service had been in operation lor the past three years in the Eltham and surrounding district, under the control of the Dairy Factory Federation and an reports showed it had been most successful. Mr. Eimslie then introduced Mr. A. K. Fyson. secretary to the Dairy Factory Federation and Mr. Leslie the chief veterinary officer of the federation, and he asked them to give the meeting advice as to how io jo.n in with the scheme to the satisfaction of all paries. Mr. Fvson outlined the methods adopted by the federation, in that the factories banded together and guaranteed a certain sum sufficient to cover the veterinarian’s salary and travelling expenses, and recovered same by a small levy through the dairy factory against the individual dairy farmer. It was found in practise that this levy worked out al less than Is per cow. and the only additional charge against the individual was -'s 6d per visit and 2s 6d per patient. Il would be necessary for the sheepfarmer to be put on a basis comparable with the average dairy farmer, so as to be fair to ail parties. The value of the service had been amply proved in the northern district, and now they had formed a group covering the area from Manutahi to Waivtara River. In this district the veterinary officer would be stationed at Patea. and it was hoped he would be established there within the next month, and he would work the district from that centre. The district unfortunately v.as not easily worked in that it covered by one long main road and therefore the travelling expenses he would expect to be considerably higher than in the northern district. The dairy factories who had guaranteed the project in this district would require help to make the scheme financially sound, either by way of direct contribution of members or by individual calls on the veterinary officer v hich would bo charged for at ordinary veterinary rates by the federation, and so would help to build up th*' funds of the group. Considerable discission took as to ‘he best method to adopt and eventually it 'as decided in appoint a small committee to canvass the district and approach the other Farmers Union branches in the district to seek their co-operation The committee ot pup nas formed and the following members ere c'c -fed. Messrs. R. M. J-J. Oliver. Andie.’ Eimslie. Cohn Campbell. Thos Lupton and Gregor McGregor A \rrx hw irt; \o».C of Ihaiffib a. passed to Mr. r'- son and Mr. Leslie for thmr inter''4 ?»nd the trouble they had taken to asskt the union in securing tbii“ ' ctm- n-i.r-. ~crwc?-