A BILL TO FIX THE PAY AND ALLOWANCES OF THE VETERINARIANS OF THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the pay of the veterinarians of the Army of the United States shall be one hundred and twenty-five dollars per month, with all the allowances of a second lieutenant of cavalry.

SEC. 2. That the number of veterinarians of the Army of the United States shall not exceed two for each regiment of cavalry.

SEC. 3. That hereafter all appointments as veterinarians in the army of the United States shall be confined to graduates of recognized veterinary colleges of the United States, and candidates for such appointments shall be citizens of the United States and shall be required to pass such examination as the Secretary of War shall direct.

SEC. 4. That all veterinarians employed as such in the Army of the United States at the passage of this act shall be immediately reappointed without examination under the provisions of this act.

SEC. 5. That this act shall be in force and effect from and after its passage and approval.

PUBLICATION COMMITTEE.

MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN: As chairman of your Publication Committee, in offering you this brief report, it comes with an apology that you have not enjoyed the past year a complete reprint of our proceedings at Washington, as you did of the one at Chicago. The unfortunate condition you left matters in at Washington, when appealed to to leave the whole matter of this work in the hands of your committee, which went unheeded, ended just as might be expected-in untold chaos, unending dissatisfaction, and from that time to this there has never been at any one time in your committee's hands the entire list of papers, reports, etc., that were read and considered there. Until some three months ago I was only able to get together the large part of this matter, and a publisher's estimate of the cost at that late day of about $250 for 500 copies seemed an unwise expenditure at this time. On the various pretexts and claims one paper and another were taken away, or failed to be placed in my keeping, so that only a part of our proceedings has ever been published.

For your and my good I beg of you to so clothe your Publication Committee with such control of all your proceedings, which become your property the moment they are offered for consideration before your meetings, and all corrections, changes, etc., must be made from proof copies, if demanded by the writer; and in this way you can be assured of a complete and prompt issue of your journal of proceedings. I would suggest for your consideration the wisdom of combining this and last year's report under one cover, together with a complete list of all the officers and members since your organization. Allow this only to members and applicants, to all others desiring a copy at the exact cost for printing.

We issued, one year ago, 1000 programmes for our meeting; for the present gathering some 1750 were printed, and of this number 1600 have been sent out through the mail.

Some 500 lists of officers and committees were issued after our Washington meeting, and on January 1st, of this year, 500 copies of our lists of officers, committees, and members were printed for our use. A copy of each one of these was sent to each member.

During the year I purchased 250 copies of the October and November issues of the Comparative Journal. To each member not a Journal sub

scriber I sent an October number, which contained the stenographer's report. The others were judiciously distributed, and have brought us a rich return in new applicants and revived interest in our society.

Some 350 copies of the lists of applicants have been issued, and though they only were placed in the printer's hands on the 15th, I have found opportunities of sending out nearly one hundred, particularly to those who did not expect to be with us, that they might scrutinize the list and forward any objections that they deem best for the welfare of our Association. Our 1000 application blanks are exhausted, and will require renewing after this meeting. They might be changed to advantage by printing thereon our rules and By-laws relating to the qualifications of applicants.

The list of veterinarians which I had compiled one year ago, numbering at that time some 1300, has now reached about 2100, scattered over our entire country, and can be carried to about 3000 if time would only permit. Most of these names and addresses have been in some way or another verified during the past year, and will be of great service during the coming year in measuring our plans and completing the same for our international meeting. They have been arranged alphabetically, and, as far as possible, their college parent investigated. This year it was of great service in aiding the work of assistant secretaries by furnishing lists of the members of the profession in their respective States. If our now 350 members would resolve themselves into committees of one, we can, in less than three months, make a complete canvass of the members of the profession throughout our whole country.

The expenses of this committee during the coming year will be extraordinary, and I am not sure but what, in view of these and a large increase in every other direction, that it would be wise to so clothe your Comitia Minora with power to devise ways and means for providing money through our membership to cancel the same. We cannot afford, in view of the international character of our next meeting, to limit or restrict the great good it promises for our profession on the grounds of lack of pecuniary means. With some $750 in the treasury, and a careful estimate of our income during the year, we will have about $2000 at our disposal.

It became necessary to procure an issue of our certificates during the year, and I procured 200 copies, which, at the rate new applicants are seeking admission, will only last another year.

Many minor matters were placed in print during the past year, and some mimeograph work was utilized, all tending to increase our usefulness and promote the welfare of our organization.

Respectfully submitted,

W. HORACE HOSKINS,

Chairman.

SECRETARY'S REPORT.

MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN: I find great pleasure in briefly calling your attention to the work of this office for the past year. It surely has been one fruitful of results, and must give us grave thoughts in considering the future of this organization. The promptness of our new members in completing all the requirements for membership has been very commendable, and at no time in our Association's history has the general financial standing of our members been so good as now. On January 1, 1892, with a total membership of 264, there was only due for initiation fees and dues the sum of $638; while at the same time in 1890, with a total membership of 269, there was $1071.50 due. On September 1, 1892, with a total membership of 262, there was due, including this year's dues, $997, since when $115, September 12th, $187, September 17th, has been paid in. Less than 20 per cent. of our membership owe two or more years' dues, and of this number a great proportion only await an opportunity like to-day to make good their dereliction. But twenty-three members still remain unqualified on September 12th, and this number has been reduced to-day, which is a high encomium on the class of men we are adding to our organization. This meeting dates the end of those who have had in the past an opportunity to raise the point that they had not given anyone authority for submitting their names, and to our future secretaries this will be a keen relief from the provoking criticism and ungentlemanly and unprofessional epistles which it has been my lot to receive during my incumbency of this office. The adoption of our application blank has changed all this, and it has already proven a tower of strength to our Association. It is a record that neither time nor uncertain memories can wipe out, and only misfortune or death will be among the future causes for failure to complete their qualifications on the part of applicants; carelessness and unfaithfulness in caring for the great responsibilities on our shoulders on the Association's part.

In three short years over 200 applicants have knocked at your doors for admission—more new members than the total membership was in 1888. From an application list of 14 at our New York meeting, in 1888, we have to-day, for 1892, the enormous number of 106—more than one-third of our entire membership. From an attendance in 1888 of about 40, we have had at Chicago and Washington over 100. In

1888 we had but 22 members west of the Allegheny Mountains, 50 per cent. of whom were at that time in bad standing. In 1891 we had in the same territory 88 members, with less than 20 per cent. in arrears; and to-day, September 12th, from that same territory, 28; September 17th, 36 are asking favorable consideration at your hands. The closer the scrutiny, the more exacting the conditions, the stronger the restrictions, the better and greater the number who desire and prize the honor of your fellowship. Surely it becomes our bounden duty to add every wise restriction to our membership, and demand the broadest qualifications for our future members, lest our phenomenal growth may be a weakness rather than a strength. I want to say for our list of applicants of to-day that they are the best we have ever had, and from Maine to California, Washington to Washington, they are selected from the most aggressive and zealous members in their respective States that are in the profession to-day, and we will thus add more real strength to our Association now than we have added in any five years of our history.

From a single day's meeting we have increased our work until triple that time will not permit of our giving proper consideration to the important business and papers that are ours for consideration in the interests and welfare of our profession in this country. From a total yearly expense, with two meetings, of $100, it has required for the past year almost $700, every dollar of which has been carefully spent in promoting your growth and caring for your interests, and I can readily see where much more might be well spent and a rich return gathered for the outlay. Not a single instruction on your part has been left uncompleted during the past year. Every member of every committee has had due notice of his appointment, and every notice to all the members has been promptly given, with your decisions and instructions, so that any and all of your actions to-day cannot be questioned or criticised in the light of lack of knowledge of what might be expected.

It

As an organization we are in thorough condition, so far as our members are concerned, for the performance of all and every duty that may be demanded to make our international meeting a grand success. only remains for your officers and committees to complete the plans of action, and they will be carried into effect with efficiency and promptness by our members unexampled in our Association's history. During this whole year I have kept prominently in view our meeting for "'93," and already in several States are working committees formed planning for the coming year. State and local organizations have been kept informed of all our movements, and in turn have secured for us support and aid that in many ways have added to the success and importance of this meeting. From our Assistant State Secretaries I have had this year the most helpful support and aid, and I want to give here public approval and sincere thanks for their efforts, which have been so highly