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35
Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919.
Complaints received 37
No. of drains found defective 15
No. of Notices served 24
No. referred to Borough Surveyor 6
Rat Week.
In collaboration with the Borough Surveyor 6½-gallon bottles of
"Liverpool Virus" were procured at a cost of £8 18s. 6d.
This poison was mixed with a quantity of oats and a small quantity
of aniseed, and placed in 69 side entrances leading to brick sewers.
After an interval of 8 days an inspection was made of these side
entrances, and it was discovered that all the poison had disappeared
and over a dozen rats were found lying dead. In view of the fact that
"Liverpool Virus" is well known as an effective rat destroyer, there
is no doubt that the poison had been eaten by the rats, a considerable
number of them having been washed away by water in the sewers.
Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Acts.
No applications for reports and certificates were received during the
year.
Physical Features and General Character
of the Borough.
It would be better if we considered these in connection with
London as a whole, but taking the town itself, it is situated on one
side of a long ridge, at the top of which ridge is Telegraph Hill and
extending in the South-East direction we have Hilly Fields. From
this ridge there is a wide sweep down into the Thames valley, until in
the North-East (Deptford Park, Evelyn, St. Paul's, Vale, Clifton and
Canterbury wards) we come to low-lying land.
In the Southern district the soil is practically all clay, but the
gradual slope forms an ideal drainage area.
In the South-West (Pepys, St. Catherine's and Hatcham wards)
there is gravel to the north of New Cross and clay to the south.
In the South (St. Peter's and part of Town Hall wards) and
South-East (St. John's and part of Town Hall wards) there is clay.
So much clay has a serious effect on the houses and drains after a very
dry or very wet season, in which the clay shrinks or expands, the