The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1904-07-28
SYDNEY HAS
PLAGUE CASES
ALARM CAUSED BY CAPTURE OF
MANY INFECTED RATS-$450.0 600
FOR RAT-PROOF WHARF.

SYDNEY, July 1O.-The Lord Mayer
alderman S. E. Lees) made special ref
erence at last nights meeting of the
City Council to the fact hat 40 plague
infected rats had been discovered in
less than a fortnight in Sydney.
A report was received from the City
Health Officer, dated June %, stating
that a case of plague had occurred on
June p in the person of a young wO-
man residing on a wharf at NTillers
Point, and that, after inspection, a gang
of men had been placed on the prem
Uses, with instructions to raise floors,
make a thorough search for rats, and
cleanse and disinfect the premises gen
orally. The firm in whose occupation
the building is was giving every assist
ance, and was among the few who had
made serious attempts to destroy rats
upon their premises
The Lord Mayor said that this young
woman died shortly afterwards. She
had lived on the ground floor of a large
warehouse, which was the property of
the Harbor Trust. The matter had as
sumed SO serious an aspect that he had
obtained q return of the plague rats
that had been discovered within the last
fortnight On a certain wharf II infect
ed rats had been found between June s
and "a; on another wharf The infected
rats discovered June Is ana y number
ed six; whilst on another wharf in three
days, between June "A and 27, no less
than 19 plague rats had been killed.
The citizens should have the serious
ness of the position plainly pointed out
TO them for their own protection, and
they must respond better i'm the keeping
down Of the yermin.
Alderman A M'ElhCne said that the
10 rats had been found about certain
property in Wherf-street Darling Har-
Dor. Few persons now applied for poi
son, which could be obtained free at the
Town Hail. The council should strong
ly endorse the opinion Of the Board of
Health, that the only preventive for the
plague was a rat-proof wharf round
Darling Harbor. 1t meant an expendi-
ture OF s450,0O0, but it would, in the end.
be cheapest for the city.
Alderman Evan Jones considered that
the Harbor Trust should 90 its duty
like the Board of Health and the City
Council. She trust should put on u
rat-catchers at once to clean up its
wharf properties, and not leave the
work for the council to do.
At the meeting of the Board Of Health
yesterday reference was made to a
complaint voiced through the Herald"
regarding the treatment of produce on
the steamer Wyandra. The board could
not see why the course taken by them
to protect the port against the further
importation of plague rats should have
been regarded as peculiar, and claimed !
that it was only taking reasonable pre- |
cautions without being in any way I'M |
necessarily annoying. Experience has |
shown that fodder harbored rats, and |
the board had therefore to be very care |
full to excuse the closest inspection |
Many plague rats We're being found in |
Wharf-street, where the City Council |
STAFF was engaged i'm cleansing. That |
fact is regarded as disquietlng, and the |
outlook is not at all promising. In the |
opinion of the president, the possible |
spread of the rats over other areas Is |
matter of serious concern.
Six parts of the Worlds Fair Port. |