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75
RAT REPRESSION.
The table set out on page 79 indicates the number of investigations and
inspections made and details of work carried out under the Rats and Mice (Destruction)
Act, 1919, during the year ended December 31st, 1924. From this summary
it will be seen that 1,072 buildings were inspected and that those buildings were
occupied by 3,344 firms. Of these buildings 383 were found to be rat infested.
One or other of the ratcatchers working in the City was engaged by business firms
in 130 instances; poisons were laid down by firms and traps of the break-back
character were used in 610 premises, and wire traps in 97. Varnish traps which
were used in special circumstances were relied upon in 274 buildings. Cats and
dogs were found to be kept by 150 firms. Complaints have been received at the
office, or applications for advice in 155 instances.
The work done in addition to poisons and traps and the keeping of animals,
included rat-proofing in 358 instances, and the repair of drainage defects in 510
instances. In this relation it should be stated that rat-proofing cannot be relied
upon absolutely to exclude rodents from buildings, for reasons I have pointed out
from time to time, e.g., the importation of rats into buildings in cases and crates
from the docks, and ingress through open doors and windows, especially through
roof doors, provided for exit in case of fire. For various reasons the value of
properly carried out rat-proofing should not be under- estimated; by this means
food is protected; the domestic water supply is guarded; fire risk is lessened;
insanitary defects are remedied which might otherwise remain undiscovered; and
rats are more easily caught, since hiding places are eliminated, and absence of
hiding places results in a decrease in the rat population.
I have pointed out in previous reports that the construction of many City
buildings is such as to render rat-proofing practically impossible and, further, that
the only persons competent to deal with these buildings (the owners) are not responsible
under the Act. A large number of old buildings have been demolished
throughout the City during the year, and in the course of demolition numbers of
rats which were disturbed found harbourage in neighbouring buildings, many of
which had not been previously infested. Mr. Engineer informs me that during the
year the following sewerage and drainage works, all of which tended to reduce the
number of breeding places for rats, were carried out by his department:—
Pipe sewers constructed 1
Pipe sewers in course of construction Nil.
Pipe sewers substituted for old brick sewers 1
Brick sewers re-inverted 1
Brick sewers in course of being re-inverted Nil.
Brick sewers re-constructed 1
Brick sewers in course of re-construction 1
Disused sewers filled in 1
New drains constructed in connection with new buildings 21
Drains of existing buildings re-constructed 72
New gully drains constructed 4
Gully drains re-constructed 74
Disused drains blocked up 261
Amount of poison used in the sewers during the year 90 lbs.
No. of rats killed in sewers not including those which died from poisoning 1,935
It was not found necessarv in any case either to serve statutory notices or
to take legal proceedings.
I am indebted to Messrs. Dalton and Sons, professional rat-catchers, for the
information that they have, during the year, caught 21,202 rats in the City area.
NATIONAL RAT WEEK.—National Rat Week began this year on November
3rd, and in accordance with the request of the Ministry of Agriculture a special
effort was made by the department to concentrate the attention of the City public
on rat destruction during the week in question. On September 29th a circular