PLAQUE AND RATS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1142, 1 June 1911, Page 3

PLAQUE AND RATS.

PRECAUTIONS AT AUCKLAND. ' (By TelecraDh.-SDCcial CorresDondenU Auckland, May 31. No fresh cases of plague in Auckland are. reported. Yesterday a deputation of Queen Street shopkeepers waited upon the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr), and expressed the hope that in dealing with the prevention of plague he would not sanction anything which might injure trade. The members of the deputation deprecated the closing of any premises, contending that this tended to create a'scare. Tho Mayor replied that he fully recognised the foolishness of creating unnecessary panic or scare. There was no need for panic of any kind. There was, however, need for systematic co-operation with the authorities by' every storekeeper, restaur-ant-heeper, hotelkeepor, etc., in or about Queen Street. Ho believed that most of the citizens were doing their best to keep their premises clean and free from food or garbage, but the , City Council inspectors reported that they had the greatest difficulty with some people. He had given the inspectors definite instructions to prosecute any business person in the Lower Queen Street area who, after a warning, allowed his premises to be kept in a dirty condition so as to he a harbourage for rats. He feared that some people were, very spasmodic in their efforts to exterminate rats. Instead of laying poison for two or three days only,' they should keep on laying poison regularly for at least twelve months. Shopkeepers and'warehousemen should also ses that their stocks were removed regularly, so as not to provide nesting grounds for rats. Only when the authorities had the daily and systematic co-operation of the townspeople would they get rid of the menace, and this co-operation would have to continue right through the present year without cessation. The Mayor concluded by saying that while he deprecated any scare, he felt it would be the duty of the authorities when plague rats were found on premises, to consider very seriouslv xho question of closing thoso premises for proper disinfection. This might mean serious financial loss to those concerned, but the public health must be the first consideration.' Speaking to a "Herald" representative subsequently, the Mayor stated that he was of opinion that the City Sanitary Department needs strengthening, and that he would lay certain proposals in this direction before the City Council at its meeting to-morrow . night. The Health Department intends to enforce the regulations recently gazetted providing . that the owner or occupier of premises must, if required, make his premises rat-proof, ax.d remove any rubbish, article, or material which in the Health Officer's opinion is likely to afford a harbourage for rats:-'"Queen Street property-owners are specially warned that they must make their premises rat-proof. \