WAR DECLARED.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 710, 28 February 1922, Page 4

WAR DECLARED.

DESTROY RATS. MINISTER’S REQUEST. A WARNING. The advisability of renewing drastic efforts to destroy rats was emphasised in a circular letter received by the Borough Council at Monday’s meeting, from the Minister of Public Works (Hon. C. J. Parr). The circular stated that plague was a dirt disease. Wherever there be dirty premises, kitchens, shops, houses, or wherever there be no adequate provision of rat-proof receptacles for foodstuffs, there would be found rats in numbers, and the rat was the medium of plague. He pointed out that during the last few weeks there seemed to be a marked slackening of effort in the war to exterminate the rat. Many householders were doing nothing. He warned those concerned that apathy at the present time would be disastrous. This month, more than any other, efforts to destroy rodents must be redoubled, for with next month began the plague season. The Director-General of Health in Sydney, in announcing another human case, stated that a large visitation of the dread disease might be predicted almost with certainty next month. Mr. Parr added that the danger of Sydney was almost equally New Zealand’s^ danger. He urged a renewal of efforts to poison and trap rats and to clean up each district during the next four weeks. It was only in this way that New Zealand could be assured of comparative immunity. In answer to the Mayor, the foreman said poisoning was being done at the rubbish tip. The letter was handed to the Press to he made public.