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and that sales are only made by employees nominated on the application
forms. No infringements were reported during the year.
RAG FLOCK AND OTHER FILLING MATERIALS ACT. 1951
At the end of the year six premises where filling material is
used were registered under this Act. There are no premises in the
Borough where rag flock is manufactured.
PET ANIMALS ACT, 1951
This Act provides that no person shall keep a pet shop unless
licensed by the local authority. During the year two renewal
applications from licence holders were received and approved. No
contraventions of the Act were found during regular inspections of the
premises and at all times the stock was well cared for and maintained
in accordance with the conditions specified in the licence.
RODENT CONTROL - The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949
There has been little variation in the number of investigations
of infestations or the campaigns carried out for the destruction of both
rats and mice as compared with the previous year. In the case of rats
as in previous years, there was again a decline in the number of
infestations traceable to defective drains and particularly frontage
drains due to the many drains reconstructed during recent years. The
policy continues of testing all frontage drains when infestations occur
at either ground floor or basement levels. Infestations of rats to
empty buildings are invariably due to the evaporation of the water seal
of sanitary fittings on drainage systems not provided with an intercepting
trap. In a number of such premises not likely to be reoccupied
in the near future the fittings have been more securely sealed
by the use of heavy oil to avoid the risk of evaporation.
For the third year the sewers were treated by direct poisoning
with Fluoracetamide. The four treatments were carried out with the
assistance of sewermen from the Borough Engineer's Department and each
of the 480 access points were successfully treated during each campaign.
This may appear to be a far-reaching statement, but Chelsea is fortunate
in having all baitable manholes located centrally on the highway and a
few side entries on the footway, resulting in freedom from obstruction
by parked vehicles, etc. Checks were made on takes from test baits in
the sewers, and from the careful observations recorded it is evident
that the reduction of the rat population continues.