EXTERMINATION OF RATS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5076, 17 January 1927, Page 2

EXTERMINATION OF RATS.

Sir, —There seems to be a deplorably partiality for making unwarranted statements on the part of some members of local bodies. Is it, sufficient evidence that people have not bought poison that will raise unseemly smells from the corpses of rats in every corner o'f the house lining, to call forth a remark that citizens are making no attempt to exterminate the pests ? It is particularly rich tp note that the member in particular is on our Health Committee. To ac ; cuse citizens of this neglect, and from; this quarter, is an abominable farce. The Borough Council itself cultivates the largest breeding ground in the place in the shape of the stables adjoining the fire station and the most filthy open drain that can be imagined. This drain, in which there may be seen rats and ghastly gefcms sufficient to raise, an epidemic that no health committee could ever hope to cope with, has, I am informed, been complained of more than once, and the matter has simply be.en ignored. Further, firemen sleeping on the fire station have had to close their windows t,o shut out the ghastly smell. These, same firemen, I believe, were so disturbed by the rats that they set traps, and in less than a. week caught no less than seventeen —since Christmas. Since then the rats have still continued their disturbing scamperings, having become too shrewd to go near the traps. The position is absolutely scandalous, and should be looked into immediately. THOROUGHLY DISGUSTED.