Government \7arns Home O*n erc of "Termite Treat mentt' Frauds

Home owners should beware of overdrawn and alarm- ing reports of igjqry to buildings by termites or white ants,- say t!r. V, S. Department of Agriculture. In particu- lar they -should be wary when exag:gerated statenients of thiskindformapart of the "salei-talk', for a ,,termite treatment." Many of these treatments are expensive and are_not correspondingly effective. Reports to the Bureau of T'ntomology indicate that sharpers, bveremphasizing the real injury that termites are likely to do, are Tilching Trom owners hundreds of thousands of dollars and ren-dering little or no effective service in return.

State officials and others reDortins to the Bureau of Entomology reveal that the tirmitJ treatment sharpers are particularly active in the South and in some of-the Far Western States. In these areas manv cities have in recent y_ears amended their building ,codes as advocated by- the Bureau of Entomology and now require adequate safeguards against termites ln new construition.

Salesmen, however,_ have been exaggerating the danger from termites in an effort to sell treatmints, miny of whTch have little or no merit, but which they picture as absolutely necessary to prevent the collapse within a short time of buildings invaded or under alleged danger of being invaded by the termites.

The Bureau of Entomology says that there has been no change in the situation in the Sbuth and West as to termite damage; that conditions are substantially the same now as they have been for the last 50 or 100 years. The records indicate that the collapse of a building on account of termite damage is so rare ai to be for practical Durposes a negligible risk. It is true that where termites hive'been in buildings for many years-as indicated by emergins swarms of the winged forms-the foundation timbers.-ani even the floors and adjacent woodwork, may have become so weakened as to make necessary some riplacement.

The. entomologists point out ttiat an experience of 35 years in termite control indicates that radical-reconstruction of the foundation is the only permanent and effective remedy for bqilding-s which, because of original faulty construction, have become heavily infested.- Such remedial measures as spraying or fumigation, or even removal of the worst infested timbers, without other protection, are at best temporary. Spraying and fumigation are practically useless.

One of the popular remedies being exploited is the spray- ing of woodwork with poisons. Spraying of construction timbers or other woodwork, even under a-forced stream, is of no real value. The poison has little if any penetration unless the timbers are so badly eaten and rotled that thev soak up the mixture like a sponge-in which case they ar'e useless and should be replaced.

Another exploited remedy is the poisoning of soil near the foundation walls or supporting pillars underneath the buildings. All that can be said now of such treatment is that it is. still very much in the experimental stage. On present information the Federal entomologists cannot recommend it.

Qr.gon -\flashington Plywood Co. ( Announce Change of Address

The Oregon-Washington Plywood Company announces the removal of its headquarters offices from Portland, Oregon, to 1549 Dock Street, Tacoma, Washington, where they are now_establishe4. Closer proximity to iis operating mills in the Northwest is accomplished by this move whicf, will centralize the various defartrnents of the company.

The Oregon-Washilgton Plywood Company are manufacturers of LOCK-TITE Douglas Fir Plywood, Wall Board, and Concrete Form Material which are sold throughout the world.

This company reports a widespread interest on the part of architects and contractors in their Douglas Fir Ply- wood Concrete Form Material and predicts a great increase in volume for this product due toits becoming more and more recognize,d _for its labor-saving and ability to produce a better finished concrete job, Economy is efielted through the use of Plywood because of its large size, 100 per cent usability and the fact that it may be used over and ovel_again with practically no loss. In the tighter weights Plywood lends itself to producing curves anddecorative effects.

-Yq"y fine structures have recently been completed in which large quantities oftheir Plywood have been used, including the large Chicago viaduct which is being congqqclqd by Wells Bros. Construction Company, and the Hill Military Academy building in Portland, Oiegon.