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25
RATS AND MICE DESTRUCTION.
Brevity on this subject is most difficult. So much has
happened and so much work done during the year that
I feel best to confine my remarks to brief generalities on
the situation rather than to go into details.
So far as urban rats and mice are concerned
Ministerial responsibility under the Rats and Mice Destruction
Act passed from the Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries to the Ministry of Food in 1942. In May, 1943,
the Infestation Order came into being. This does not
supplant the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, but among
other things gives the Ministry of Food powers to issue
" Directions" to Local Authorities to perform certain
functions.
The first of these " Directions " was issued in June
and called upon the Local Authorities to submit to the
Minister a report with respect to the extent to which
land (as defined) within the Area of the Council is subject
to infestation by Rats and Mice and without prejudice to
the foregoing a special report had to be made without
delay as to any major infestations within the area. The
report was duly forwarded after a careful survey.
Following this a further " Direction " was issued to
proceed with all necessary action for the remedying of all
infestations on any land within the area of the Council.
Appropriate steps have been taken to comply with this.
In the meantime the Ministry of Food made an extensive
publicity campaign to direct the attention of the public
to the necessity of co-operating. As a result, for a short
period, we were inundated with requests for assistance.
Many of these, however, did not prove very helpful, and a
great many thought that they would receive the services of
operatives free of charge.
Before the War, this district was to the forefront in
this branch of work. For years past, publicity has been
given to the subject, and the problem was undoubtedly kept