The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-06
RED TAPE AND RAT TRAPS.
How the Cat Maintained Itself in the
British Military Service.


From the Youths Companion
In an English army store. where a
large quantity of military clothing was
kept pending emergencies, a cat was kept
TO keep. away the rats, and for this cat
small subsistence allowance was drawn
monthly. Then came orders for a re-
trenchment of expenses and the substi-
tuition of rat-traps in the place of the cat.
And then followed much formaIity and
correspondence, Of which the London
Army and Navy Gazette prints laugha-
bic account:
The officer in charge was directed TO in
denL for traps, rat, wire. iron, galvan-
ICED, mark l, in the proportion of one TO
every 100 suits of clothing" In the next
changes in war material" an elaborate
picture and description of the trap APP
peared, and the cat was declared obso-
lete, and ordered to, be handed over to the
commissariat department to be sod. The
traps duly arrived, and a return was or
dered to be submitted monthly.
The return in question was arranged in
bird-caSe form, and was a masterpiece
OF its kind, showing at a glance the
amount OF clothing in the store, the cubic
measurements of each room. the number
OF traps on hand, and the number of rats
caught each day. Mice were TO be shown
under remarks" The percentage of rats
caught to suits of clothing, and of rats
TO traps, was to be marginally noted.
AS it was feared that the officer in
charge OF the store might endeayor to
take credit for mice as rats, the measure
ments of the animals caught were ordered
10 be inserted, and the officer in charge
was authorized to demand "a suitable SER
vice measuring rod for the purpose
rms rod was accordingly demanded
put the demand elected the reply that
these stores formed part of chests, tool
carpenters, which were only allowed at
! stations, for which carpenters shons
were authorized" A strong appeal was
accordingly made for the erection of a.
carpenters shop, which appeal was sane
toned at cost of some hundreds of
pounds
Meanwhile the officer in charge of the
store acknowledged the receipt of the
traps and requested instructions as 10 how
they were to be set. The reply came that
'he matter had been under consideration
and instructions would shortly be nuh.
hshed." The first monthly returns sbouea
several suits of clothing destroyed bv
rats.
None but men of superior intelligence"
were TO be permitted 10 touch the trans
and warrant officer was to be struck off
duty and detailed to instruct them. A re-
turn was to be submitted monthly, show
ing the number of men instructed.
Still no rats were caught. and the Do
struction of clothing cont Lnued. 1t was or
dered that the return showing the number
OF men instructed should be submitted in
duplicate once week. Even this failed to
produce an Improvements
Finally the authorities were compelled to
admit that the traps had not answered
their expectations. and that there appear.
ed TO be no fault either in the traps them
selves or in the setting" and Incidentally
ii was asked what bait had been used.
The officer in charge of the clothing store
pointed out that no allowance was made
for bait in the regulations, and that he
could not be expected to provide 1t out of
his own pocket. In the end the cat was
retntroduced into the service, ito be strict
ly adhered 10 for the purpose Of catching
rats"