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in question. On October 1st, a circular letter was posted to occupiers of those premises in
the City that are specially liable to rat infestation by reason of the nature of the business
carried on and these included the following:—
1. The occupiers of refreshment rooms, tea-shops, cafes, etc.
2. The managers of railways and railway depots and stations. Seven railway
companies operate in the City area.
3. The occupiers of licensed premises, of which there are 299 in the City.
4. The managers of 36 wharves in Upper and Lower Thames Street.
5. The superintendents of markets, Billingsgate, Leadenhall, and the Central
Meat Markets.
Letters were also sent to the City Surveyor with reference to Corporation property
under his control, and to the City Engineer concerning rat destruction in the sewers. With
regard to the sewers Mr. Engineer has informed me that during "rat-week" the Corporation
sewermen killed 84 rats by hand, he points out that this is not a great number, and as a result
of his department's efforts, during some years past, there appears to be fewer rats now in the
sewers, and this is evidenced by the fact that only a very small quantity of the 56 lbs. of
rat biscuits, which were placed in different parts of the sewers, was eaten. There is no doubt
that as improvements to drains and sewers are effected more rats are being shut out, and
numbers of those are being accounted for above ground by rat-catching, and poisoning
operations. Very few of the hundreds of firms written to replied to the circular letter sent
out—only seven in all. Many have pointed out, in previous years, that the work of rat
repression at their premises is continuous, and a certain amount of irritation appears to
result from the rat-week reminders.
Ratcatchers are engaged on contract in many of the multiple tea-shops, restaurants,
hotels, and business premises. Several vacant building sites in the City were dealt with
under the supervision of the Department, and all necessary information was given to
representatives who called for advice.
Gassing, with sulphur dioxide, was effectually carried out on some vacant land where it
was possible to use gas without danger.
The attached table shows that of the 1,135 buildings visited during the year 391 were
found to be rat infested, and in these, rat proofing work was carried out at 365. This work
chiefly consisted of wiring basement area gratings, ventilators, roof openings, and the stopping
of rat holes in walls and floors. Other necessary work, such as the removal of wooden
floors from basements, and substituting concrete, the stripping of internal walls of the woodwork,
such as matchboarding, wainscoting, and panelling—behind which rats nest and breed.
The cementing of walls and the removal of ceilings in certain cases could only be done to a
very limited extent because it would not be considered a reasonable request to ask an occupier
to carry out this expensive work in a building which he does not own.