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24
RATS AND MICE DESTRUCTION.
Once again I have to report a very full year's activity
in this branch of the public health department. Every
endeavour has been made to co-operate with the Infestation
Branch of the Ministry of Food and regular visits arcpaid
to the district by an area inspector of the Ministry.
In the Report for last year I gave fairly full details
of the position in regard to administrative responsibilities
and it is unnecessary for me to repeat these. I should like,
however, to refer to one important point. The public tends,
more and more, to think it is the duty of the Local
Authority to destroy rats and mice wherever they may be.
It is very necessary to point out that this is not the case,
as the impression frequently leads to a negative attitude
on the part of the householder concerned.
The occupier, and in some cases the owner, of land
(which includes buildings) is charged with a statutory
responsibility for destroying rats and mice on such land
and for preventing it from becoming infested. Thus it
will be seen that a Local Authority is not compelled by law
to do any work of actual rat destruction, except on land
occupied by them. They may, however, order an occupier
to do this work and summon him if the order is not obeyed.
As in all other activities it should be the object of a
Local Authority and certainly of its officers to see that the
requirements laid down by various Acts of Parliament arc
carried out without, if possible, resource to the Courts.
To provoke hostility by the service of notice threatening
penalties is a poor substitute to the fostering of a spirit
of co-operation. The latter gets the work done and ends
with both sides being satisfied with no ill feelings as an
aftermath.
Consequently I am happy to say that it has been the
policy for a number of years to make the charges for the