RATS ON SHIPS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 37, 7 November 1919, Page 6

RATS ON SHIPS

AND A HAWSER TRAIV

The precautions considered lo lie definable to eradicate the rsit. pest on ?hips wero discussed by a deputation from the ■Waterside Workers' Union with the Minister of Public Health (Sir Francis Bell) yesterday. The special request of the deputation was that the Government should compel the uso on hawsers of a certain trap, which has been the subject of petitions to Parliament for half a dozen years or more. Recently the petitioner had a Ulk with the Waterside Workers' Union 011 the subject at a meeting, and the union took up tho case.. ■ Sir Francis Bell said that ho .did not believe that rats would be exterminated by the uso of tho traps, 'lhe Health Department wished to destroy rats, and the fumigation motihod was being investigated, also the Clayton gas method. As a protection on hawsers he considered that tho discs now used were a considerable safeguard, and that the use of traps would not improve matters much. Ho assured the deputation that the Government and tho Public Healtlv Department were very anxious to destroy rats on sbip6, and were not ati all in kagjio vim the shipowners. He suggested that the watersiilors should take a day occasionally and catch some rats. Tho traps referred to weru declared "by the Public Health officers to be fuliile.' He said that he had not spoken the final word or the Government yet 011 the subject of Tats on ships, because inquiries ivpro still being made. , On behalf of the watersiders, Mr. Kob crte, a member of the. deputation, said that the proposal that the watersiders should kill rats was impracticable, but the union might the Minister s suggestion to have "a rat day.