RATS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 138, 8 December 1921, Page 6

RATS

CLEARING THE WATERFRONT.

A Post reporter iwho took a walk along the; waterfront this morning, with the intention of noting garbage-strewn corners and . the like was altogether pleased when he was disappointed., The Harbour Board's clean-up officers and staff .have certainly made a wonderful difference to the appearance and to the general sanitary condition of the,whole waterfront and the storage sheds. ' Be.tween appearance and good sanitary condition there is a world of difference, for the rat as a. rule avoids advertising himself, and hies him away to outK)f-the: way corners. The clean-up staff has seen to appearance and corners alike and the results, the Chief Wharfinger states, have' been thoroughly satisfactory, both !to the board and to the \ Public Health authorities. "The Health Department," he said, . "does not consider that the board can do any more than it is doing at present. You can look wherever you like, and anyone else, can look, and I don't think you will find anything likely to harbour rats." ' . -

' Very few of the pests have,been taken about the sheds lately, particularly from those in which cats are kept, and in one store, previously not without a fair rat population, a test bag of wheat has lain untouched for five weeks. The catchings average but two or three per day— "they have gone, up town," say the officials—but trapping and poisoning show satisfactory results on shipboard. In one day 53 rats were trapped on one steamer, which had arrived "from Singapore, but that catcli was exceptional. .The fumigation of steamers obviously does not kill all rats, or else they go aboard after the. fumigation, for they are still being caught on those vessels after their arrival in port. ■ With very commendable humour, perhaps unconscious, the board's ratting staff has titled its record book "Register of Rats (deceased)," but the entries are serious enough. Figures for ten weeks were: 18, 79, 20, 20, 16, 18, 15, 23, 76. 22. Total, 307. ' ■ •

"A word of advice," said one of the staff. "If you nse a cage tfcap cover it with straw or a bag; it will work better. Another word of advice, do it today, or, at any rate, do something. We take more rats here t'^an are caught in the whole of the city, but I am satisfied that where we have ten the city has a hundred." /~