View report page

33
RATS.
In February the County Council approached us, asking for the assistance
of the Inspector of Nuisances to undertake the duty of verifying the number
killed and checking the claims for payment, which would be met by the
County Council; this was agreed to. In March the County Council sent a large
quantity of handbills and posters. Note that the "Rats Order, 1919,"
provides : ' 'It is the duty of owners and occupiers to get rid of rats." So it was
proposed to report to the County Council the land and premises in Edmonton
that were badly affected .
In April it was reported that 121 rats had been paid for at £1 0s. 2d., and
that 12 tins of Virus had been received from the War Agricultural Committee.
In April the County Council stated that a more recent Order had given
power to the County Council to delegate its powers to the District Council,
and a further letter in May stated that the bulk of the expenses would still be
paid by the County Council; so my Council agreed to carry out the provisions
of the new Rat Order in Edmonton.
In June it was reported that 127 rats had been paid for at £1 1s. 2d.
In July it was reported that 131 rats had been paid for at £1 1s. 10d.;
complaint of rats on the dust shoot in Park Road led to an expenditure
of £10 on Virus, and a suggestion that the railway company allow rat-catching
on the shoot. A dozen tins of Virus were received from the County Agricultural
Committee.
In September the Council learnt of a letter of the 28th July from the County
Council, stating that the latter had decided to appoint an official rat-catcher
and two assistants for six months, and that the system of payment for rats
would end after the 9th August, and that posters would be issued inviting the
public to apply for the services of the said rat catchers. The Inspector reported
that up to that date 482 rats had been brought to the Town Hall and
paid for.
In October a suggestion for holding a rat week was made So from the
20th to the 27th October poison was laid down in many parts of the district,
this poison having been supplied mostly by the County Council.
Smallpox.—A satisfactory feature of the infectious returns for the year
is the absence of smallpox from amongst them; since 1904 the district has
enjoyed a complete immunity from this disease. An epidemic of this dreadful
disease is overdue, and, judging from the returns of the Vaccination Officer,
there were many Edmonton children unprotected from infection and sure to
die if attacked. There were no deaths from chicken-pox.