107
and that three appointments were made to the Department, viz.:—
Veterinary Lieutenant Smith.
„ „ Holmes.
„ „ Dawson.
458. These constant reversions and appointments are most prejudicial to
the interests of the Department and militate to a great extent against its
powers of development.
459. These changes are felt most in the horse-breeding districts, and
unfortunately it has been necessary to have two changes in both of the Circles
of the Punjab, which may be said to be two of the most important:—
Veterinary Lieutenant Trydell assumed charge of the North Punjab on 1st April 1898.
„
„
Smith
„
„
„
„ South
„
„ 22nd July
„
That this will always occur is an undoubted fact until we are in a position
to call upon the officers to decide whether they will elect for continuous
service in India or not; this we cannot do until we are in a position to lay
before them the rules of the Department under which they are to serve, and
although these have been discussed for the past five or six years, I regret to say
that as yet they are not settled. This has arisen by the War Office Authorities
withdrawing from the arrangement which had been decided on, that this
Department was to be recruited from the ranks of the Army Veterinary
Department. I hope, however, that this difficulty will be overcome, and that
I shall be in a position to administrate a Department with some idea of the
officers on whom I can depend for continuous service.
460. A number of changes have been rendered essential by the fact that
two officers have proceeded on furlough. These changes may not be under-
stood. I therefore deem it necessary to state that having, as I may term it,
three interests to guard, viz., (a) horse and mule breeding, (b) cattle breeding
and disease, (c) Educational establishments, it is necessary to select officers
whose tastes and qualifications best fit them for any of the three; it therefore
frequently necessitates two changes to fill one vacancy properly.
461. That this Department is totally undermanned no one can deny. To
place it on anything like a satisfactory basis, the following additional officers
are required:—
(i) 3rd furlough officer.
(ii) 3rd officer for Punjab, solely for cattle.
(iii) 2nd officer for North-Western Provinces, solely for cattle.
(iv) Officer for Central Provinces, solely for cattle.
(v) 2nd officer for Burma, solely for cattle.
(vi) Officer for Kashmir, mainly for cattle.
(vii) Officer for Assam, mainly for cattle.
462. This Department has not its proper strength of furlough officers.
The necessity for a third has been recognised, and I trust that little delay will
take place before the Secretary of State is asked to sanction this appointment.
At the time that I am writing I have not an officer to spare, two being on
furlough, in fact the Department is short of one owing to its having taken
over the Hissar Farm; this vacancy will, however, I trust be soon filled up by
an officer being sent out from Home, but being as I am at present without an
available officer, I have just received intimation by wire to the effect that one
has been invalided Home for six months, and I shall be unable to fill the vacancy.
I mention this as it will show how necessary it is to obtain the services of a
3rd furlough officer.
463. The remaining appointments which I show as necessary are such as
are connected with the welfare of the cattle of the country. I shall allude to
this more fully under the Cattle Section of this Report; it will therefore be
sufficient here to point out, as I have done in previous reports, that I may be
said to have no special cattle officers in the Department. The Principals of
the Colleges are able to conduct a certain amount of research work, and the
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