The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-15
NOW FOR RATS
Citizens Committee to
Provide Poison.
The Distribution Will Begin Saturday
business Men Asked to GIVE
Employees a Full Day.

Employees Full Day.
The Citizens Sanitary Committee
called a meeting of the inspectors at
headquarters yesterday to conclude
arrangements, ways and means for
thoroughly distributing rat poison;
and to answer a number of questions
which had been raised in regard to the
matter.
Thirty-three out of the forty in
spectors were present, besides num-
Der of sub-inspectors. A number of
the inspectors had been met with OBJ
jections from people in their several
districts to using the poison. Some of
these objections were as follows: Fear
that the poison would be eaten by
children, or dogs, cats and chickens;
that rats might get into water bitches
or houses and die, thereby becoming a
nuisance. A number were reported as
being Indifferent and disinclined to do
any work in regard to exterminating
the rodents.
Inspectors Should be Active.
Mr.. Marsden addressed the meeting,
urging the Importance of enthusiasm
on the part of the inspectors, stating
that the poison was universally recon-
mended by those in the best position to
know; that the determination of rats
was of the greatest protection when
plague was in the midst of a commu-
nifty; that inspectors ought to take a
int nd CHI
5 among the people, explaining to them
! what was to be done.
E Mr.. Thurston stated that he had
! consulted the Board of Health concern
: ing the various objections made and
; that Mr.. George w. Smith had stated
. that arsenic, the poison used, was
% practically insoluble in water, so that
% if some OF 1t did get into the water
it would have no evil effect. He stat
ed also that the Board was urgent that
!. the rat-poisoning program should be
" carried out Mr.. Smith stated to Mr.
Thurston. that the Board felt sc
i strongly on the subject they would
y pass a "By Authority notice to the
u public recommending the distribution
3 and use Of the poison.
y Poisoning Scheme Discussed.
70 There was a very general discussion
- of the poisoning scheme. Among 9th
20 er inspectors w. r. Castle stated tina
he was an inspector prior to the mi
- tiation of the Citizens Sanitary Com
- mittee, and in his district number O
dead rats had been found in barn
which greatly disturbed the neighbor
ee hood. Also, about a week later, a deat
rat was found in a barn and not lon
= after a servant living in a building ad
jacent thereto, died of plague.
A view Of this fact, which he knew o
- his own knowledge, and of the univeI
sal advice of plague experts and c
the Board of Health, he felt that n
effort would be too strong to have tn
disposition of the poison, to be provid
ed by the Sanitary Committee, ene1
an getically pushed.
Z. F. Bishop urged that the in
ma structiOns be printed in circular form
as there was considerable difficulty
US making the instructions of the CON
mittee understood among the Chimes
I'm and Japanese.
Several inspectors felt that the II
ward offered by the Board of Healt
3. was not made very tangible to man
Ia who had called at the Health Depar
al In order to encourage the use of til
US, poison among a considerable numbt
H. of people, it was suggested that a
IN engagements be made so that the "a
nj. need not be brought into town. It VIZ
no suggested that arrangements be pc
fected so that the rats could be exhi]
tied to and destroyed in the present
of inspectors and sub-inspectors,
that payment could be made by II
. committee upon the inspectors certi1
IA cate.
m Action by the Meeting.
Mr.. Thurston stated the commits
Na- would take this branch Of the subje
tor up with the Board of Health and e.
deavor to have such an arrangeme
Tho acceded to. He also stated that Il
poison would be distributed witho
nm | charge, either for distribution or f
the poison. The distribution wou
on be made by the inspectors, who cou
procure orders on Benson, Smith
;Do Co., front he committee for the amou
they needed in their several distric
On motion it was unanimously w
~. ed as the sense of the meeting, fir
that in order to thoroughly distribu
The poison and issue instructions
circular the beginning OF the distrib
ton take place on Saturday, Februa
18th, and that the poison be continu
70 be put out thereafter each night {
wa one week.
and Second, that employers of inspectc
Xxi. and sub-inspeetors be requested to
'eb low them to take all the necessa
'iel. time on Saturday next for the distrit
NJ ton and placing of poison.