QUARANTINE

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1933, Page 8

QUARANTINE

INSECTS AND DISEASES

DR. I). MILLER’S WARNING

; The statements that the quarantine system against insects and diseases aii lNew Zeatancl is practically useless' and that tne Dominion, is wider-open to : general invasion by both were made by JJu*., D. Miller, of the Cl&wthron Institute, Nelson, in an address to the Wellington Philoopphicak Society last week. He, declared that with an efficient system the white, butterfly would *.ot .hay.e become a national insect pest in the Dominion.

“The: expansion of world transport,” lie said, ‘'with its resultant spiead ol destructive insects, lias led tiie more enlightened countries, to establish a rigid system cf. quarantine and pogt inspection against invasion of undesir-i-igie insects and diseases. In New' Zealand, where pm haps we are lulled ito a position of false security by our geographic . isolation, which is no •onger an isolation, or where perhaps scientific opinion, though backed .by ample evidence, is meeting the same blind opposition as did lord Lister in his advocation: of antiseptics, no effective steps, are taken to protect the Dominion from many insect scourges yet to come to our shores'. “A spectacular example which has draw'll to it more public 'attention than any other insect in the history of this country is the cabbage white butterfly, which within three yefU's of its appearance' at Napier had spread throughout most of the North Island. If there had been an efficient : quarantine service this insect world never have had the opportunity of overspreading the country as it tors done. The destructive potentialities of the butterfly are enormous, and if extensive attacks are made upon the .-turnip and moo crops of the Dominion the sitnhtion will ge very serious, especially in the dairying and sheep industries.

• - " 'i SYSTEM PRACTICALLY USELESS

“I have frequently .emphasred that the question of qn adequate quarantineand inspection service., im New _ Zealand is a matter for urgent, attention. A3T present- we., have a system, of port , inspection totally unfitted for modern We lag far behind in ,this important brarich oT ptodfit '-nrotec--tion. , Wi© . .mtojV liken our position to j that of .a .w.ell-prpyid.Qncd but undergarrisoned fort \yhere . civilians find Sshelter; hut' though the protection ‘of, :the civilians from the enemies that have managed to gain a footing is left Ito the trained garrison, ..the duty of repelling further invasions ,has been Iplacedt in the hands of the untrained civilians. , not criticising the imen in charge of .bur present System '; I condemn the, system itself .is pi'fic.tioally .useless. .

’ 'threat TO forests

i ' *'7 ' " ' , ; “The rorests of the world,” he is'3id, “are ; subject to sei'ioiis .insect invasions Foi example,, the bark-beetles alone in, the United States destroyed trees, valued •at. £‘io,CQQ,ppd during a period of 50 years. In New Zealand, I though we may congratulate ourselves on having to contend, with only a- few forest pests, any day may see our exotic plantations laid waste by any one iof the most destructive scourges that to reach our shores. We have ;no organisation to prevent an ini vasion; neither have we now sufficient drained men to handle such a situation •. oiir Jorests and. plantations are : exposed to* the 1 will of any ;pest that cares to enter them. We had built up in New Zealand a most efficient service, in the Forest Biological Research Station, especially for. the protection of our forests; but this, in the .so-oalled interests of been virtually wiped out! ’ V “An illustration of what is likely to befall us is found in the history of the larch daw-ifly. This \ European insect became established in the eastern States of North America, where it destroyed 384,000,000 acres of larch. After some years the pest was controlled by an effective parasite. But what chance would our half-million acres of pine trees st/md in th„ face of a similar invasion?”