422 Eat Catching in Devonshire. [Aug., 



of crates of strawberries have also been made, and reached Covent 

 Garden Market by aeroplane from Paris within four hours. In 

 both of these cases the fruit arrived in good condition at the 

 market, and the high prices realised completely justified the 

 experiment from the financial point of view. So far, the fruit 

 carried has been strawberries, but it may be anticipated that 

 other choice fruits will be carried by this agency in the near 

 future. 



****** 



The photograph here reproduced has been forwarded to the 

 Ministry by Mr. E. Eoberts, County Eat Officer for Devonshire, 

 . . and illustrates in a very striking manner 

 Devonshirf success which has attended the efforts 



of three of the County Eat Catchers in the 

 course of one week's work in North Devon. 



The saving of foodstuffs through such destruction will have 

 been considerable. These 1.206 rats, if left undisturbed, would, 

 by Boelter's computation of }d. a day, have done in a year 

 damage in foodstuffs alone at pre-war prices to the extent approxi- 

 mately of :£460, or at present prices more than double that 

 amount, leaving out of all calculation the increase in the number 

 of rats that would inevitably have resulted from breeding. The 

 rat, as is well known, is a very prolific breeder, so that v^^hen 

 account is taken also of this fact, the potential saving would be 

 many times the above figure. 



This instance should bring home to all who may be respon- 

 fible, either legally or under obhgations of public duty, for 

 undertaking measures for the destruction of rats, the value and 

 importance of concentrated effort in the task. Public 

 authorities, land owners, farmers, and others concerned, should 

 reahse that it is in their own as well as the national interest that 

 measures should be vigorously prosecuted in all areas under 

 their charge where rats are known to exist. 



At a meeting of the Agricultural Wages Board held on 

 Tuesday, the 6th July, the Board had under consideration obser- 

 vations from District Wages Committees 

 w^^'^^^Tj^^^i with regard to a draft proposal to increase 

 Wages Board. minimum rates of wages for adult male 



workers throughout England and Wales by 4s. per week, and 

 decided to give formal public notice of the proposal forthwith. 

 Before an Order can be made bringing the proposed increases 



