The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-03-15
A SUGGESTION
Plan for a Successful
Rat Crusade.
A Correspondent Gives His Views on
Rodents - Plague Recurrence
And Sanitary Inspection.

Editor Advertiser. The recurrence
Of plague cases brings 70 our minds
again the question Of the spreading OF
the disease and the means thereof. II
the writer understands the matter cor
rectIy, the Board OF Health believes
that rats are one Of the greatest factors
in the spreading of infection, and one
of the causes of the disease breaking
out in the different districts of the
city. In other countries and cities
where the plague appears, the authori-
ties make determined and persistent ef-
forts to rid OF the rats the city or To-
.cality infected. The Board OF Health
long ago came 70 the conclusion that
rats We're means of spreading the
disease and advised that citizens do ali
in their power 20 reduce the number Of
the pests. Some slight effort was then
made by the more intelligent people 70
eXterminate the rats in or near their
homes; but in the lower parts Of town,
and especially in places where the
rats were believed TO be infected, lit
tie or no effort was made 70 this end.
The Citizens Sanitary Committee
was organized and one OF its frst good
works was to distribute poison, which
was supposed TO kill on sight, and TO
offer a reward for dead and live rats.
This attempt proved abOrtive, though
about a thousand dead rats were re-
ported, a majority of which probably
met their deaths in a manner ether
than by the poison. Furthermore, the
method adopted for paying for the ro-
dents did not prove satisfactory, for the
sub-inspectors did not pay, and the re-
ward was not a sufficient incentive for
carrying the rats through the streets
to the Health Office.
Since the poisoning attempt nothing
has been done toward Kidding the town
of rats-at least no organized attempt
has been made-thOugh IL is acknowl-
edged that the rats are a menace. The
| Citizens Sanitary Committee has been
ioked considerably about the matter,
but It is to be hoped that its members
are not so thin-skinned as to let this
affect them in devising some other
scheme. If the rats are infected is It
not possible that we may go along for
six months or more with a plague case
occasionally, and then have an out
break similar to that preceding the
burning Of Chinatown?
a plan has been suggested by a MEM
Der of the community for reducing the
number of rats, and his idea is about
as follows: That a small bounty be
offered for dead and live rats. and that
a scale Of prizes be also offered TO those
exhibiting the greatest number, the
prizes varying from one hundred TO five
dollars, thus making II worth the while
for some to spend their time in this
work.. and providing the incentive.
That the rat-killers be not compelled
to take their rats to the Health Office
but that convenient stations be estab-
lished in the various districts of the
lefty where the slayers of rats may ex-
hibit their game at a given time each
day to authorized agents of the Board
Of Health, who will number, pay foI
and destroy the rodents. The returns
could be tabulated, the prizes awarded
accordingly. This plan could be print.
ed in all the languages spoken here
land distributed broadcast through the
town.
This is merely a suggestion, but il
Iseems to the writer that something
fought to be done on this line, either by
the Citizens Sanitary Committee OF
other organized body. II we are tC