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no nuisance and no complaints were received. Periodical
inspections were made (20 in number) during the year.
SMOKE ABATEMENT.
Although there are few factories in the district, the
problem of smoke, mostly in the form of grit, has been
given constant attention. This is a most difficult problem
and further advice was sought in one instance.
As the matter was still under review at the end of the
year, I feel it would be better not to comment further in
this report.
RATS AND MICE DESTRUCTION.
In the latter half of the year, the Council decided that
this section of public health administration was of sufficient
importance to justify a whole-time rat officer and a man
was appointed to act under my supervision as assistant rat
officer.
He is employed in investigating complaints, advising
as to the best methods to adopt to rid premises of these
vermin and to prevent re-infestation. He also carries out
actual rat destruction for which householders pay a small
fee for his services.
He was engaged, in the first instance, for a period of
six months.
Up to the end of the year his services had fully
justified the appointment and many old-standing cases were
soon cleared up. This has been mostly achieved by obtaining
the co-operation of a number of householders in the
vicinity where trouble occurs. This combined action, which
has been constantly emphasised by me in the past, is vital
if a successful attack is to be made on these vermin.
Action during rat week followed the same lines as in
previous years. Red squill rat biscuits are kept in stock
and sold to ratepayers at cost price (half price during rat
week).