H.—29.

The main difficulty, apart from finance and labour, facing us at the moment is the uncertainty of supplies of sodium chlorate or Atlacide for the coming season in order that the expenditure of the past years may not be lost. It is hoped that it will be possible to make arrangements for some supplies to be released. The position in respect to other noxious weeds —blackberry, gorse, sweetbrier, &c. —remains much the same. A certain amount of work is done by some, but no concentrated attack is made, and it is quite clear that no such attack is possible except under some well-organized local scheme such as could be worked through County Councils. At the present time twenty-one County Councils have taken over the administration of the Noxious Weeds Act and these counties do a certain amount of useful work in the way of control, but outside these counties it is only possible to effect some spasmodic attempts at clearing which for the time has to be accepted, but unless it is part of a long-term policy scheme it leads nowhere. Staff. All members of the staff have carried out their many duties in a conscientious and loyal manner. Much extra work has been carried out by many branches of the staff, mainly owing to war conditions. As members have left for Territorial or overseas service, the depleted staff has carried on until assistance could be provided. Seventeen officers of the meat-inspection staff are on active service overseas. A still larger number temporarily exempted from service will be released, as required, at the end of the present slaughtering season. Of the stock-inspection staff, seven officers are on active service. It is pleasing to record that a member of the staff, Lieutenant J. H. Sutherland, M.C., formerly Inspector of Stock, Thames District, has already been decorated for his services overseas. I wish to record my thanks to all officers of the Division for their work during the year.

3—H, 29.

17