PLAGUE AND RODENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 96, 27 April 1904, Page 2

PLAGUE AND RODENTS.

Not so my long: ago there was a plague scare. J)ny after day the cable man in Sydney, Informed u« of the number ol! " suspects " mul "contacts" and the isolation treatment of patients. Vnwoury details of insa.njitary places, with grin*, sonie particulars of rat-hunting expeditions, dissertations on the rodents, their Ileus and habits, as contrasted with the nimlble little human Ilea and his hailjits. showing ing the susceptibility of one branch ot the flea tribe to the innumerable genus -and bacilli recently conjured up by science as against the immunity of some other species of the troublesome pulex tribe, were served up daily and 'devoured with much gusto by a sensaition-loving' public. And meanwhile the small boy brigado waxed rich on the spoils of rodent-co/tchiirj; excursions, and the extinction of ruts and fleas appeared within measurable distance, Besides this the sanitary inspector found hotbeds of filth 'that had been passed by previously, and every step was taken to fumiguto and purify premises where rats had been known t.o visit in search of food. In short, we lmd the "scare" badly, and the health authorities, Hacked up by local bodies, took every precaution to prevent a widespread outbreak of the plague. Then the people on " the other side" recovered from their illness, and the ships of the Commonwealth were allowed once more the unrestricted right to enter ports in other countries. Plague enthusiasm in New Zealand fell to zero, and nothing has been heard of 'the mutter for some time. Now there is a case of bubonic plague in Auckland, and the people wake up to the fact that there has evidently Ihh.ii no decline in the birth-rate of rats, and that these little brutes are as plentiful as ever. No one doubts that they are sure mna'ns of disseminating plague germs. Yet here is New Plymouth in daily communication with Auckland, which may be classed us a "plagued" city, and though our foreshore is livernlly infested with rats, and these are a menace to public health so long as there are plague organisms afloat, no action has yet been taken in this matter, and the cjaestion arises, "Are the rats to live ?" (Since writing above we have been handed a copy of an oflicial message sent, hy the "Minister of Public, Health to his Worship the Mayor on this matter and the text of this circular is published elsewhere.)

ON TIIR FOVItTH PAGE. Football. Literatu re. In Bankruptcy. Miss Belie Napier. Post ()!lice Savings Bank. School Committee Kkvlions.