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By-laws as to Houses let in Lodgings.
At the end of the year 587 houses were registered under these By-laws. Of
these, 295 are in St. Giles and Bloomsbury and 292 in the Holborn District.
Four such houses were removed from the Register.
There were 850 inspections of these premises, excluding a very large number
of periodical inspections and re-inspections. Six notices was served for nine
overcrowded rooms and 197 notices for other breaches of the By-laws, exclusive
of 590 notices that were served for annual cleansing as required by the By-laws.
Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act.
In accordance with the suggestion of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries "Rat Week" was again observed in the Borough during the week
commencing Monday, 5th November.
Preparatory visits were paid by the Sanitary Inspectors to premises thought
to be possibly rat infested and two leaflets, one drawing attention to the requirements
of the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919, and one on "Rat Proofing,"
were left with the occupiers of the premises. The occupiers of these premises
and of adjoining premises were encouraged to take concerted action during rat
week.
Arrangements were made for increasing the baits laid down in the Council's
Sewers, 4,000 baits of red squill biscuits being used in place of the usual 1,000.
The Borough Surveyor estimated that not more than 50 per cent. of the bait was
taken; in some places where the bait was repeated after being taken the first
time, the second was left untouched.
During the year, 199 inspections of premises were made in connection with
rats.
The arrangements made by the Council for the repression of rats operated
during the year as follows:—
(1) Systematic baiting in the Council's sewers has been carried out, the
baits used being barium carbonate, squill tablets, and "Dalroc," a liquid extract