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37
All new applications are reported upon prior to licences being granted,
and all storage premises are kept under supervision and periodically
inspected.
Rats and Mice [Destruction) Act, 1919.
When a complaint is received, the sanitary inspector visits the
premises and if there is evidence of rat infestation, poison in the form
of red squill baits is issued. Drains are tested and dealt with as circumstances
require. The number of complaints received during the year
was 120.
No notices were served under the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act,
Early in the year the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries drew
attention to the increase in central London of the alexandrine variety of
the 'black" rat. The Ministry asked to be furnished with the Council's
views on the situation in this area and to know what steps the Council
were taking, or proposed to take, to deal with the situation.
In view of the history of the black rat and its part in disseminating
plague Sanitary Inspectors were instructed that upon receipt of complaint
of rats they were to ask tenants to place all rats which were caught,
in a pail of water and notify the Sanitary Inspector so that he could
ascertain whether or not they were "black" rats.
At the time of the receipt of this letter there was no evidence of
black rats in the Borough.
At the same time the Committee were reminded of the report upon
rat repression measures which were submitted to them in 1931
(Appendix, Annual Report, 1931), which report had been referred to the
works' Committee with the recommendation that they should take
appropriate action.
In the early part of the summer the Borough Surveyor intimated that
he had been able to secure the services of an experienced rat catcher, who
had been put to work partly on requisitions from the Public Health
Department and partly on work in his own Department in connection with
rat destruction.
The rat-catcher was interviewed by the Medical Officer of Health and
informed of the type of baits he should use in private dwelling-houses,
and under no circumstances was he to use poisons which were dangerous
to human beings.