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36
Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919.
During National Rat Week the Health Department
issued free supplies of Red Squill (Liquid Extract), Red
Squill Biscuits, and a gassing machine and operator were
available. The results from the use of Red Squill still
appear to give satisfaction. The sewers were baited as in
previous years. Four local chemists co-operated by
making special displays of poisons, posters and leaflets,
which attracted considerable attention, and they are prepared
to repeat these displays on future occasions,
especially as they led to increased sales of poisons.
The response in Bromley to the Rat Destruction Campaign
showed some slight improvement compared with the
1929 effort, as 34 applications were made to the Health
Department for free poisons, whereas only 13 applications
were received in the previous year. This response, however,
still falls short of the required effort to deal, in
any degree of usefulness, with the known prevalence of
rats, which are vermin responsible not only for considerable
damage to property, but are a menace to public health.
Nuisances.
Appendices VII and VIII, which are submitted by
Mr. G. R. Woods, Chief Sanitary Inspector, indicate in
some measure the very varied and valuable work performed
by the inspectors. The extra work entailed by the smallpox
outbreak early in the year considerably interrupted
the work of the sanitary inspectors.
One instance of a contravention of Section 73 of the
Public Health Act, 1925, was reported. This Section
prohibits the sale or distribution from any vehicle used for
the collection of rags, bones or similar articles, of any food
or any balloon or other toy.
In five cases it was necessary to serve statutory notices
to abate nuisances; these were remedied, and it was therefore
not necessary to take any further proceedings.