WAR ON RATS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 227, 18 September 1908, Page 4

WAR ON RATS

The war on rats and other vermin is to begin in real earnest in England uo October 1. On that date tlie Society the Destruction of Vermin, of which Sir Jam's Criehton lirown 0 is president, will initiate competitions among all the existing .-jmrrow at rat clubs, which the hope to organise into one body. "All clubs with a membership of !0 will be eligible for the competitions," an official of tho Society told a Press representative. "Tho club which kills the greatest number of rats in 12 months will roceive a prize oi ten guineas, and there will be two other prizes of five and throe guineas. In addition, there will be -otferod fifty prizes of one guinea each to individuals who can prove big 'bags.' "No prize will be given to an individual 'who has destroyed fewer than 300 rats. The entrance fee for clubs will lie 10s.

" For the county prizes there will 1"' offered five prizes of ten guineas each, and ten prizes of five guineas each for th c fifteen club s providing the largest 'bag.' We estimate there are fifty-six million acres under cultivation in the Dritish Isles, and, merely for the sake of calculations, we put one rat oil each acre. Each can do one pound's worth of damage pel" annum. " 111 May next the Society will hold an exhibition in which will be shown not only the history of the war on rats; which dates back to ancient Kgyptian and Etruscan times, but the most modern methods of exterminating tlie.se and other pests. We ourselves do not advocate! any particular methods of extermination. We hope the exhibition will do that for us."