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Bannu Hospital was looted and a valuable horse stolen, besides some of
the hospital property. Several hospitals are still without chaukidars.
In the opinion of the Superintendent and the horse-breeders it is consi-
dered that the young Arab stock in all the non-selected districts of the Province
are not improving. All the most experienced breeders are now against the
Arab stallions. The Arab has been used since 1901 and the stock is undoubted-
ly deteriorating. The progeny are small and weedy and seldom grow into any
useful size.
All the districts have requested to be supplied with English or Australian
horses.
District Boards would readily assist but the difficulty is the price, and
special arrangements must be made for importing such stallions.
A thorough-bred English by St. Frusquin, one of the leading stallions
at home, has recently been purchased for Dera Ismail Khan. Bannu has already
got an Australian thorough-bred. District Boards require Government help
for the purchase of these animals.
A new annual Horse Show has been started at Parachinar and was held
in May 1913. Mr. Woodley was unable to attend as the existing rules will
only permit his going once to and from a hill station and drawing travelling
allowance during the hot weather.
The Superintendent has experienced considerable difficulty in realizing
travelling allowance for special journeys to or near hill tracts in connection
with outbreaks of contagious disease during the hot weather. Special sanction
of the Government has to be applied for.
The rules as affecting the Civil Veterinary Department require special
modification.
Merinos.
It is regretted that little is known how the experiment is working out
in Kaghan. The Superintendent toured
there in 1912. The prospects were most
promising then and the progeny numbered about 300: many of these were
magnificient specimens with splendid wool which was reported on most favour-
ably by the Dhariwal Woollen Mills Company. On that occasion the Account-
ant-General raised objection to the Superintendent's tour, and it was only after
15 months that some of the travelling allowance bill was passed. The Dhari-
wal Woollen Mills Company offered Rs. 200 for prizes in a show last year.
The Superintendent intended touring there again, but as the sanction of the
Local Government was not received in time for the Superintendent to proceed
there, he abandoned the tour. Little now is known how the breeding experi-
ments are going on, and none of the District Officials inspected the sheep during
the year.
The office work continues to increase. During the year under report
there was an increase of 1,628 in the number of English and Vernacular letters
received as compared with the previous year and of 658 in the number of
letters despatched. The work of the clerical staff during the year has been
satisfactory.
The long anticipated sanction for a separate Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment Officer for the North-West Frontier Province has not been received yet,
which is a matter of great regret, and the Superintendent still feels that he is
not doing justice to his work in having to perform his tours in such a hurried
and unsatisfactory manner, besides there being considerable inconvenience in
serving under the control of two separate Provinces and Administrations. There
is more work to be done in the North-West Frontier Province than in the
North Punjab Circle and it is difficult to expect the Superintendent to dis-
tribute his tours equally in both Provinces.
The Superintendent records his thanks for the hearty assistance he has
received from District Officers and District Boards in the course of tours.
D. MEADOWS,
Offg. Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department,
North-West Frontier Province and North Punjab.