SANITATION CRUSADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17973, 24 December 1921, Page 5

SANITATION CRUSADE.

HOTEL LICENSEE FINED. CELLAR NOW QUITE CLEAN. The case in which J>hn Endeaa-fMr. Mavpl, lirensee of the M'diteual.i H• .tfl. charged, under tne L'i'y I'i.uiicil salutary In-laws, with hav.r.g faiVd t>> keep his pier.iises and cellais in a c't-in'" Condition, was concluded at the I'uiicb Court yesterday before Mr. J. W. Vnynton, SM. For the prosecution evident u;is giver, that dofonilant hid been tol'i to clean up his cellais, whicl were "it ,i dirty condition, and contained material fiild rubbish which would affo'd harbourage for rats but tbat when the Kun'.-e? were subsequently inspected (on Deo'inbrr the cei'ars still contained mu li miteri-l f'>r tin; harbourage of raK li «if ad mitred that tiie o'liars had s.nco been cleared out. For t.he <J»fim«■ ;l. was ri.ntendrj that the work had been ..onimeii' ed t-.\ weeks ago, but it ".at, ini|VKbibi« to have all thft material le.r.'\ ed and the work competed in the tune allowed. '1 koie had been no previous complaints. Ibe | rrmiM« were now c'eali. Mr. H. Johnstone, lor the City Council, snid it. was dot o,mended t.iiat the premises weie not n w 'lean, bi.t that they were dirty on De'eml-er U The action was biou::) t because of the vital importance of keeping piem set free from harbourage for rats. The magistrate said the hotel hart extensive underground premises, and everyone know how rubbish an<i material so cumulated in the course of years. It was only recently, however, that the danger of such accumulations of rubbish, aff'-rd ing .shelter for rats, had been n ted. Rat. l spread plague, anl if rats wore suppressed the plague would be suppressed In fatness to Mr. Endean it should be Mated that there was no contamination of food and nothing against him in the manage ment of the premises. '1 here was not .i word about food. 'Hie fact was that on December 14 the cellars were not as (lean as they mieht have been. They were now clean and it, good condition. There was ver\ little chance of rats going irin the place now. The ease was just a warni"? to others. Defendant was fined £1 and costs NO QUARTER FOR THE RAT. EXTERMINATION MEASURES. Fifteen thousand rats caught ;n the city and on tho waterfront during the present year have teen examined at the I laboratory of the. Health Department. Nons of these were found to be infected 'with plaghe. The greatest activity is being maintained by the officers of the department, in conjunction with the city sanitary officers, in an endeavour to ex- ! terminate rodents. | There are still many nTs about the thickly-popukted areas, and it is realised that 6nly the closest co-operation between ' the people and the responsive officials : will result in the destruction of the ver- ! m in. The campaign is to be 'continued during the holidays, and the rats will ho i given no quarter until the freedom of | Auckland from any plague outbreak is ■ assured.