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18
In, accordance with the suggestion of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries,
Eat Week was observed in the Borough during the first week in November.
Endeavours were made to secure concerted efforts during the Week and
attention was drawn to the importance of rat repression. The following action
was taken in connection therewith:—
The distribution was continued of a special leaflet issued in 1924 on "Some
Simple Suggestions for Eat Proofing and Destruction."
Suitable poisons were sold from the Public Health Department in the
Town Hall.
An anti-rat film was exhibited at a local cinema and still slides were shown
at a local music hall.
The number of baits laid weekly (1,000) in the Council's sewers were
quadrupled during Eat Week.
The general arrangements made by the Council for rat repression were
continued during the year and included:—
(1) Systematic baiting in the Council's sewers, the bait used being small
cubes of bread soaked in liquid extract of red squill (found more effective than
barium carbonate).
(2) The services of the Council's workmen were available for rat proofing,
subject to the cost of such services and the material used being defrayed by the
owners or occupiers of the premises where the work was carried out.
(3) Arrangements were continued with a firm of rat catchers for dealing with
rat infested premises at the cost of the occupiers. This arrangement has proved
useful and reports are from time to time received from the rat catchers employed
respecting their inspections of the premises and the work ultimately carried out.
Typical reports from these rat catchers are the following:—
(i.) "Acting on instructions received from Dr. C. W. Hutt, Medical
Officer of Health of Holborn, I called at your premises to-day and surveyed
the same. The premises seem to be in a, fairly bad state of rat infestation by
ship rats. I found evidence of rats outside on the roof beside the whole of the
inside of the building.
I consider that the best method to adopt will be as follows:—
To work the premises everywhere possible to do so with dogs and ferrets.
To search the premises for means of ingress.
To treat the premises with raticides twice per week for a period of
three weeks.
To rat proof on our advice.
We are prepared to undertake to work dogs and ferrets everywhere
possible to do so in the building.
To search for means of ingress and to advise you as to what we consider
the best method of rat proofing.