248 



IJ. THE SMALLER TOWNS. 



Instead of opening a fixed depot, it would appear more suitable in the smaller 

 towns to provide a collecting cart. Any horse-drawn vehicle would serve the pur- 

 pose as long at it is furnished with a fixed apparatus for cutting off the tails and a 

 receptacle of galvanized iron for receiving the carcasses of the rats. The vehicle should 

 also be fitted with a bell, to announce the arrival and presence of the collecting cart. 



The destruction of the carcasses is to be effected in the manner described under A. 



C. THE VILLAGES. 



The authorities in the villages shall appoint a suitable person to receive the rats 

 delivered up, for which work he shall be paid an adequate remuneration. Such 

 persons must be supplied with an apparatus for cutting off the tails of rats handed 

 in. After the tails have been cut off, the rats may be buried in a suitable place 

 without delay. It is most undesirable that any person engaged in the carrying of 

 milk or other foodstuffs be asked to convey rats to the persons appointed to receive 

 them. Villages in close proximity to towns are advised to make arrangements for 

 the cremation of the rats at the municipal gas works. 



In the case of villages whose buildings approximate those of a town it is recom- 

 mended that the regulations given for towns are^adopted. 



Respecting the payment of the premiums it is recommended that the person in 

 charge of a collecting depot or otherwise appointed to receive rats is supplied with a 

 fixed amount of petty cash, out of which he pays the premium for each rat delivered 

 up. The tails cut from the rats serve as a receipt for the payment made, so that the 

 total amount of tails will be a discharge for the total amount of petty cash received 

 and paid out in premiums. 



In order to prevent abuse it is particularly requested that the local authorities 

 take care that the rat tails are destroyed in an efficient manner as soon as they have 

 served the purpose of control and checking. 



For the purpose of keeping satisfactory accounts the Association for the Authorized 

 Extermination of Rats has on sale specially arranged account books which are recom- 

 mended by the ministry of the interior. 



As in accordance with paragraph 3 of the law of 22d March, 1907, it is the duty 

 of the Association for the Authorized Extermination of Rats to submit to the ministry 

 of the interior a report on the money expended in the whole of the kingdom on such 

 premiums, the local authorities are hereby desired to make a quarterly return to the 

 aforementioned association on the number of rats killed within the district of each 

 authority in each month of the quarter covered by such return and on the money 

 paid out for premiums. Forms for such returns will be supplied by the association. 



Any associations which in accordance with terms of paragraph 1 of the law of UiM 

 March, 1907, desire to participate in the grant made by the State for the purpose of 

 purchasing preparations for the extermination of rats (ratin, etc.) must send a request 

 to that effect to the minister of the interior, together with a statement showing the 

 approximate cost of the proposed campaign and the amount at the disposal of the 

 association for that purpose. As this law is essentially of an experimental character, 

 the requests of all such associations will be treated as preferential, which show that 

 the proposed extermination may be easily and successfully effected (as, for instance, 

 on small islands). 



A number of copies of this circular will be forwarded to each local authority. 



DESTRUCTION OF RATS IN SWEDISH PORTS. 



Consul W. H. Robertson at Gothenburg, Sweden, quoted the city 

 physician to the effect that "upon the appearance of plague in Great 

 Britain the city council decided in April and November, 1901, to 



