1028 



Official Notices and Circulars. 



[JAN., 



OFFICIAL NOTICES AND CIRCULARS. 



Consequent upon the passing of the " Ministry of Agricul- 

 ture and Fisheries Act, 191 9,"* the King has been pleased to 

 appoint the Right Hon. Lord Lee of 

 M?n" Fareham, G.B.E., K.C.B., to be Minister 

 of Agriculture. Agriculture and Fisheries. 



The Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 191 9, which received the 

 Royal Assent on the 23rd December, came into operation on the ist 

 rri» -D + ^ Tw- January. The powers vested in Local 

 THe Rats and Mice Authorities under the Act are briefly 

 (Destruction) explained in a Circular Letter addressed to 

 Act, 1919. Local Authorities by the Board on 30th 



December. The Board point out that, although an " occupier " of 

 "land" is required under a penalty of £^ to take action to free his 

 premises of rats and mice, provision is made for service by the Local 

 Authority, or any Committee of the Local Authority to which the 

 exercise of powers may be delegated, of a Notice on the " occupier " 

 requiring him to take such steps as are prescribed in the Notice, within 

 a time specified therein, and that this can be enforced by a fine of £zo. 

 The Local Authority may also, after not less than 24 hours' notice to 

 the "occupier," enter upon the "land" and take such steps as are 

 necessary and reasonably practicable for freeing the premises from rats, 

 and mice, and may recover all reasonable expenses so incurred. A 

 notice purporting to be signed by the Clerk of a Local Authority shall, 

 in the absence of proof to the contrar3', be deemed to have been signed 

 by the Clerk with the authority of the Local Authority. The expression 

 " occupier " means, in the case of land which is unoccupied, the owner ; 

 and " land " includes any buildings and other erection on land, and any 

 cellar, sewer, drain or culvert in or under land. The Act applies to a. 

 vessel as if the vessel were land, and the Master shall be deemed to be 

 the occupier. Proceedings under the Act are only to be instituted"^ 

 by or with the authority of the Board or the Local Authority. 



Experience gained by the Board from the supervision of admini- 

 stration of the Rats Orders has demonstrated that without the services 

 of a competent and trustworth}^ officer to organise and control the- 

 necessary measures, the general co-operation and uniformity of action 

 which are essential to success cannot be secured. It has shown on the 

 other hand that where such officers are appointed a scheme on self- 

 supporting lines can be organised and valuable results achieved. Local 

 Authorities are urged, therefore, to adopt this procedure without delay. 



The following Circular Letter (No. 264/C.6) was addressed to County 

 Councils and Councils of County Boroughs in England and \^aIes by 

 the Board on 22nd December last : — 

 Present Position of Sir, — i . I am directed to forw-ard for the con- 

 Land Stttlement. sideration of your Council the enclosed ex- 

 tracts! from the Proceedings of the Conference 

 held on 2Tst October last between the President of the Board and 

 representatives of Small Holdings Committees of the County Councils, 



* See p. 962. t Not here printed. 



