WAR ON RATS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 155, 1 July 1919, Page 7

WAR ON RATS.

-—■■■—~._ m AT7CK_LA-_TD HEALTH OFFICE LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN. HARBOUR BOARD'S HELP ASKED, j RODENTS AS BLAGUE CARRIERS. ' ■, To cope with the rat nuisance on the f waterfront the Auckland District Health Office is launching a war on rats, and r is seeking the assistance of local bodies. s At this afternoon's meeting of the r Auckland Harbour Board a letter was i received from the District Health Officer a (Dr. R. H. Makgill) asking the Board t to again take up the campaign against c rats, and pointing out that whereas the t construction otf concrete wharves had done much to minimise tho rat trouble along T the waterfrout, it was still bad at Hob- 0 son Street and on the northern shores, c and very marked at Onehunga. In a circular letter to local bodies tha c Health Officer states: "Recently it has I<j been reported from various countries \ r that rats infected -with plague have been J r

found in ships or about the waterfronts, c It is satisfactory to know that a con- i tixiual examination of rats captured in t Auckland lias failed to reveal any sign h of infection among them, but from complaints received from time to time it ia evident that of recent years rats have wo increased as to become n serious I nuisance in many districts. There is a very large annual lose caused by these vermin, which, quite apart from their disease carrying tendencies, makes the destruction of rats au important economic question. ' "In 1911 a regular campaign was in- ' stituted, ajid rat-catchers appointed by j many local 'bodies. This met with con- 1 siderahle success, and the merchants, a especially near the waterfront, found. ! their losses minimised for some time. However, the campaign was not kept up, t and the rats have ;i.gain increased. 1 1 would, therefore, empha-sise the need for I renewing the effort, and would reeom- "] mend that your Council, in common with others, should resume co-ordinated meas- , urcs. ( u-operation is necessary since < rats. being migratory, will .-s-urely ! take refuge in districts in which no ; effort is made to sujiprese them." i The circular suggested as features of * tlie campaign. .' (1) Forcing owners to clear their pre- i mi~e.s of raits. ' (2) The appointment of rat-catchers, J to be also at tihe service of owners on payment of a fee. ( (3) Inspection of drains, sewers and < foundations witli the object of making J them rat-proof. i (4) Strict supervision of disposal of < garbage. j As to the use of poifrons, the circular invites inquiry at the Health Ofliee a* to r methods and kinds. L Arising out of the letter, the Traffic «■ Manager reported tlia-t the number of 'i traps in the places •mentioned by the „ Health Department had hoen double<l. s Poison was laid on the various wharves, I and lie suggested "that the number of ' tra,ps be further increased, and more t time be devoted to this and the laying l of poison. An average of 40 rats per week l were being destroyed. '