SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
523 
THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 
Gentlemen :—The past year has been one of great progress in our 
Association affairs, and in the development of our profession. The 
schools are receiving more support and are improving. Laboratories for 
research work in veterinary pathology are being improved and enlarged, 
and new ones have been established. Under the stimulus of increased 
demand for their services and higher rewards, the veterinarians of the 
country have given more attention to their organizations, have 
strengthened them, and, by co-operation, advanced the status and the 
conditions governing their calling. 
In so far as this applies to our own organization, you will be told 
more by the Secretary, that vigilant, untiring officer who keeps in 
touch with all of the details of the work of this international society 
from year’s end to year’s end, planning, pleading, prodding, as condi¬ 
tions require, or as instructed by you. The Secretary’s office has 
steadily grown in importance, and is now the great reservoir and main¬ 
spring of the official work of this organization. The amount of time 
and thought required to satisfactorily conduct the affairs of that office 
and the difficulties experienced in arranging for a meeting such as this, 
and in keeping up the correspondence with nearly 400 members, can 
scarcely be appreciated by one who has not undertaken it. 
Do we compensate the Secretary sufficiently for the time he must 
take from his personal work and devote to our business ? I believe that 
this question should be carefully considered. 
Our organization is now stronger and its influences are broader and 
more potent than ever before. We will better appreciate the meaning 
of this if we recall some of the achievements of this body, as, for example, 
the success of its efforts in the direction of lengthening the courses of 
instruction in the veterinary schools. When this matter was taken up 
a few years ago, but three veterinary colleges in the United States and 
one in Canada required three years attendance. At this time there are 
but two colleges in this country and one in Canada that do not require 
three years attendance, and this out of a total of 16. Moreover, the re¬ 
quirements for entrance are gradually being raised, and students that 
are better prepared for the study of the veterinary sciences are now 
being required and received. These great advantages are in part a 
natural development, but there can be no doubt that they have been 
encouraged and hastened by this body. 
Whatever change of sentiment there may be among the members of 
Congress and on the part of the public in regard to the proposition to 
confer the authority and dignity of rank upon veterinarians in the 
United States Army, is due principally to a few members of this body 
working as members of special committees. Especial mention should 
be made of the faithful labors of Dr. D. E. Salmon, and of Dr. R. S. 
Huidekoper. By the efforts of these gentlemen, aided most valiantly by 
the members of this Association and the veterinary profession at large, 
it was possible at the last session of Congress to make a greater advance 
m the matter of placing veterinary work in the army on a proper basis 
than has ever been possible before. The bill drafted by your committee 
has passed the Senate, and has gained friends in the House of Represen¬ 
tatives, and has secured the endorsement of the President. It now 
remains for us to continue to follow the leadership of our Committee on 
