CONTROL OF TERMITES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 262, 23 August 1950, Page 3

CONTROL OF TERMITES

REPORT BY AUCKLAND ENGINEER STATE CORPORATION CRITICISED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, August 22. “The time is overdue for a radical change in the set-up of the treatment side of termite control work,” says the Auckland acting-City Engineer (Mr J. E. Clarke) in a report to the City Council works committee. Mr Clarke charges the Auckland branch of the State Advances Corporation, the body responsible for termite destruction in Auckland, with neglect and inefficiency He says that the Australian termite is established extensively in Auckland, and the problem may Avell become national. He claims that - the corporation has no trained operators, the treatment is roughly applied, and a cursory examination is given many properties, so that infestation is overlooked. There is no attempt by the corporation’s officers to co-operate with council inspectors, Says Mr Clarke. He adds that within the Auckland area 363 properties and Australian hardwood poles are known to be infested. Party-six of these infestations were cleared up. The value of property still infested is estimated to be at least £286,000. “The figure gives some idea of the amount of community wealth endangered,” says Mr Clarke. Partial methods of treating imported infested Australian poles and sleepers are little better than no method, he adds. Some timber escapes detection and is distributed throughout the country. All infested properties in Auckland are close to tramlines, and it is probable that the sleepers used in these cases were infested when laid. Mr Clarke adds that little can be achieved from the present constitution of the Auckland Termite Advisory Committee. It was intended that the Department of Scientific and Industrial -Research be represented on the committee, and the logical selection was Mr K. M. Harrow, senior research officer of the Plant Diseases Division, but apparently his nomination was not acceptable to the corporation, for it was withdrawn. Mr‘Clarke suggests that termite control work should be done by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.