1920.] 



Rat Destruction. 



1179 



upon the owner or occupier of premises as a legal obligation. 

 Great commercial companies are recognising their duty. The 

 London and North-Western Railway Company, for example, 

 have appointed an Officer to supervise rat destruction over 

 their whole system, and a committee consisting of members of 

 the various branches of the service has been formed to co- 

 operate with him. The Ministry have addressed a letter to 

 all Railway Companies informing them of the action of the 

 London and North-Western Railway Company and suggesting 

 that they should follow this example. The County and 

 Urban Authorities have also been very active. Since the 

 passing of the Act many counties and boroughs have appointed 

 officers to administer the Act. In Leeds a Rats Officer has 

 been appointed to conduct a special campaign. The Swansea 

 Port Sanitary Authorities have appointed their Chief Inspector 

 as an Executive Rat Officer, and in several counties authorities 

 are beginning to receive the thanks of farmers, who now realise 

 that the steps taken to destroy vermin are likely to have most 

 satisfactory results. The work done in England is attracting 

 considerable attention in the Overseas Dominions and else- 

 w^here. 



The Third Natimial Rat Week. — The Third and last National 

 Rat Week of the season was carried out between 23rd February 

 and 1st March. The evidence which has been collected as a 

 result of these national measures for rat destruction shows 

 quite clearly that the Rat Weeks have served to reduce the 

 enemy by many millions, and that the saving to the country 

 must amount to very many times the expense involved. Very 

 much, of course, yet remains to be done. On one farm in 

 Herefordshire a short while ago 275 rats were killed during 

 threshing operations, while in Monmouthshire, during the 

 threshing of four wheat stacks on a farm, the Rats Officer and 

 his assistant destroyed upwards of 1,000 rats. 



A significant result of the National Weeks can be gathered 

 from letters received by Local Authorities, which show that 

 in districts round Jarge manufacturing centres that have been 

 properly treated there has been a great diminution in the 

 number of rats seen. 



Establishment of Research Laboratory. — The Treasur\- have 

 sanctioned the establishment of a research laboratory, in 

 which research work and investigation with a \-iew to im- 

 proving in methods of rat destruction will be carried out. 



