492 
EDITORIAL. 
by a peculiar action on the part of one of the judges of the Su¬ 
preme Court, who, as we stated in our last issue, had issued a 
mandamus ordering a County Clerk to register a person who, for 
what reasons ? had neglected to comply with the law, and against 
whom a suit was instituted by the veterinary societies, State and 
County; but which was dismissed, as having no prosecuting 
authority. And then a judge under the pretext of ignorance of a 
law which he had not read , allowed an illegal registration to be 
made. This incident showed not only one danger alone, but also, 
the one most likely to arise from the mutilation of the act passed 
in April, unless the necessary correction is carefully made. 
One result of this experience has been the organization in 
New York city of a State Veterinary Protective Association. 
This organization already numbers some fifty associates, com¬ 
posed of members of the profession in the State, whose object 
will be to exercise a general supervision of the professional inter¬ 
ests of the veterinarians in the State. 
Taking advantage of the neglect of a few practitioners to at¬ 
tend to their registration at the proper time, a few politicians 
have seen fit to introduce a new bill in the present Legislature 
by which the time for registration is proposed to be extended by 
an additional six months. The bill, in this meagre form, had 
nearly become a law, and as narrowly escaped being railroaded 
through as any bill ever did. It was about to be put on its third 
reading, and would have passed the Assembly unchallenged had 
not proper steps been taken to interrupt its progress and secure 
its reference to the Committee on Public Health, where it will 
be properly watched and cared for, and the introduction of the 
amendments to which we have referred secured. 
As a matter of common interest to all who have any concern | 
or connection with the procurement of legislative action, whether 
original or amendatory, relating to veterinary practice in the vari¬ 
ous States, we have thought proper to recall these matters, and 
to urge the lessons they are calculated to teach, of the necessity 
for vigilance and diligence in watching well the politicians and 
law makers with whom it may be unfortunately necessary at 
times to come in contact. 
