4
which agency has up till now made Government measures for cattle
disease repression in all parts of India abortive. The College has already
had a visible effect in modifying treatment of animal diseases and injuries,
especially among cattle of Bombay ; it is to be hoped that each graduate
sent out will act as a centre for the diffusion of knowledge on rational treat-
ment of disease (particularly that of a communicable nature). Hereafter it
will be found that the effect of the College, direct and through its graduates,
will be even more by improvement in management of sick and healthy cattle,
cessation of cruel and barbarous practices, rational measures against contagion,
and so on, than by the number of cases actually treated in hospitals. This will
be manifest in the course of time and from steady continuity of policy in spite of
discouragement of various kinds ; the course to be taken is clear, and so far the
advance along it has been satisfactory ; possibly before long a scheme for local in-
struction of cattle-owners in the vernacular by graduates in charge of hospitals
may be devised. I have dwelt at considerable length on the question of future
employment of graduates, because I feel it to be the most pressing matter as
regards the future welfare of the College. It has two urgent bearings at present.
The first is the question of suitable remuneration of a graduate, for information
of Local Boards and other bodies willing to start hospitals and also of Rájás
and other Chiefs desirous of employing our men. The second is, what action
Government ought to at once taken to organise a Civil Veterinary Service. I
have roughly estimated the monthly value of a graduate's services at Rs.
100 in Bombay ; up-country, where house-rent and living are less expensive,
a smaller sum may be found sufficient ; and graduates of those castes whose living
is least expensive will be able to afford to work for less than will the Pársis
and Europeans. While such evidence as I could bring to bear on this point
(social status of present students, average income in the sister profession, &c.)
has led me to the above conclusion, I trust many of our graduates will earn
much more than the sum mentioned, and am fully aware that others will be
content, doubtless, with less. Whether or no this estimate be correct, it has
been used as a working basis for reply to applicants for services of graduates.
These applicants have been (a) Municipalities, (b) Local Boards, (c) Native
States, (d) Native Cavalry, (e) Transport, (f) Police, (g) Provincial Governments.
We can meet the requirements of all these if they will realise that we turn out
neither salutris nor farriers but veterinary graduates, who, having passed
through three years of study and in many cases having 'paid for their profes-
sional education, must be remunerated in pay and status accordingly. This
impression we are gradually succeeding in conveying to applicants, and I think
that, far from wanting employment for graduates, in due course we shall find
the native veterinary profession in high demand. As regards applicants for
services of graduates, we need not here enter into detail, but we may notice a few
leading points :—
* Fresh appointments having been
made, as follows, by—
(1) His Highness the Rána of Porban-
dar.
(2) His Highness the Thákor Sáheb
of Wadhwán.
(3) The Madras Government,
(c). Native States for the most part will enter their own men as State
students at the College. Our " foreign
students" in the past year were 24
in all.* Now the troops of Native
States are to muster with those of Her
Imperial Majesty for frontier defence it
is to be hoped their cavalry, artillery
and transport will receive due veterinary supervision, for which duty
and for charge of Darbár stables, body-guards, and breeding estab¬
lishments our graduates will be fully competent.
(e). The Government Transport Service has hitherto struggled on with ill-
educated salutris, whose unfitness has been constantly reported on by
officers of the Army Veterinary Department; for adequate inducements
we shortly will provide veterinarians whose value to the Transport
Branch in peace and war would be inestimable and their cost very
moderate.
(d) and (f). Native Cavalry and Police would find their Chunda funds in a
much better condition if they placed their nálbands under qualified
veterinary graduates and discharged their salutris.