6
W. J. D'Costa and Veterinary Assistant S. R. Lakshman continue to be on Military
duty, but Veterinary Assistant S. C. Jeyasing Raj has been invalided from that duty
and is now on leave. Veterinary Assistant R. Rajamanickam Pillai joined the Silladar
Cavalry Veterinary Reserve for service in India at the beginning of the current
official year.
(ii) Office establishment.—The office establishment of the Superintendent was
strengthened during the year by the addition of three clerks and one peon which raises
the total number of clerks to ten, excluding the office Veterinary Assistant. On
account of this increase the accommodation in the building in which the office is now
located is barely sufficient, and the necessity for a sufficiently commodious building
for the permanent location of the office is a matter for early consideration. The
office, under the guidance of Mr. S. B. Daniel, the head clerk, and R. Lakshmi-
narayana Nayudu, the accountant, has worked smoothly and efficiently throughout the
year.
V.—EXPENDITURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
The figures under " Local " have not yet been furnished by the Accountant-
General. The delay is stated to be due to his receiving annual accounts instead of
monthly accounts as in previous years. Taking only the figures under " Provincial "
into consideration, there is an increase over the previous year of Rs. 34,867-6-9.
Most of this occurs under the heads " Subordinate establishment " and " Hospitals
and dispensaries ".
VI.—GENERAL REMARKS.
(i) As remarked in last year's report the most important subject with which
this department has to deal, concerns the importation of rinderpest from the adjoin
ing Native States. An arrangement has been made with the Civil Veterinary
Departments of Hyderabad and Mysore by which the Civil Veterinary Department in
these two Native States furnishes this office every month with a list of the border
villages in their territory which are affected with rinderpest. Similar information is
furnished to them by this department. The information received has already proved
useful by preparing this department for the occurrence of rinderpest in certain
districts, but little can be done to prevent this occurrence until the subordinate staff
is further enlarged. The necessity for doing this immediately in the frontier districts
has been recognised by Government and the five-year programme called for in this
connection was recently submitted to the Board of Revenue.
The Hyderabad Government have recently sanctioned the appointment of ten
veterinary assistants to work in the taluks on the borders of this Presidency but no
information has been received to show that the Mysore Government has taken similar
action.
(ii) It is to be regretted that in spite of the endeavours of the Superintendent
and the support of the Sanitary Commissioner with the Government of Madras it has
not been possible to arrange for the inspection of municipal meat being carried out
by a Veterinary Assistant except in the case of Berhampur, Vizagapatam, Coimbatore,
Erode, Calicut, Adōni, Guntūr and Rānipēttai. There is a certain amount of difficulty
in fitting in the meat inspection with the hospital work owing to the practice in this
Presidency of having two slaughter-houses, often some distance apart, for cattle and
sheep, but it has been overcome in the places mentioned.
(iii) The post of Veterinary Inspector in charge of the Mobile Corps was made
permanent and the allowance of touring veterinary assistants was raised from Rs. 5
to Rs. 15 per mensem during the year. Thus the initial pay of all assistants, except
a few unfortunates on the reserve staff, is now actually Rs. 45 per mensem. The
Government did not consider it necessary to revise the scale of pay of Veterinary
Inspectors as recommended by the Board.
(iv) Arrangements were made during the year for publishing veterinary
leaflet No. 2 and copies of it will soon be printed and supplied to all Collectors for
circulation.
(v) The usual promotion examination for assistants was held in June 1915.
Out of 15 men who appeared 9 passed.