Evening star., 1905-11-07
PHILIPPINE RAT CATCHERS.
Bounty for tho Capture Of the Animals
In Manila.
From the Buffalo Express.


The Manila rat Is much more in demand
than is the Buffalo rat. Since the American
occupation of the Philippines rat catching
has become a big industry. 1t has thrlveo
so much under a paternal form of govern
,pent that 10000 of the animals were
caught in Manila during the last year. In
cIdentally. that meant 10000 deaths in the
rat colony. for the only good rats in Manila
are dead rats. This wholesale slaughter oil
rats is carried out under the direction OF
the Philippine board of health. 1t is one OF
the means used to prevent the much
dreaded Asiatic plague.
In an informal discussion that some Buf-
flo physicians were h9v.ns the other night
DIR. r. II. McMullen, r, -utly returned from
the Philippines, told about the inroads the
United States government had been making
on the pest-carrying rat of Manila Dr
McMullen was attached to the board OF
health there.
Although II Is an established fact that
rats are carriers of the infection OF. re
dreaded Asiatic plague. yet compare WY
few Americans in Manila are alive 10 the
Importance which the board or heafth au-
thorities attach TO the trapping of rodents.
or are aware that the city has an organized
corps of seventy-five rat catchers and that
they trap about 10000 rats a year.. said
the doctor. Such is the case, neverthe-
less and were 1t not for this rat brigade II
would be difficult to say where the pest
would stop.
'If one pauses to think that bubonic
plague is epidemic In Hong Kong and other
Asiatic ports which are brought in close re-
lationship with Manila by reason of the
immense freight and passenger traffic be-
tween the mainland of Asia and our new
possessions, while in Manila there Is only
an occasional sporadic case, he will readily
realize that every precaution must be taken
to prevent the spread OF the disease in the
islands.
To what extent the system of rat catching
holds In check the plague Is only a matter
or conjecture, but 1t Is undoubtedly great,
and as well, under conditions antedating
American occupation, this active rodent
was largely responsible for the destruction
OF an immense amount of property.
The corps OF rat catchers is divided into
seven sections. one being assigned to each
of the health stations. Each man. who In
turn hires small boys to do the actual work
receives monthly salary of 10 pesos.
which is So, and in addition, three centavos
Qla cents) for every rat he catches. This
bounty amounts to about pesos a month
so he receives an income of 10 pesos a
month-an average Manila clerks salary.
rat catcher must be industrious. He IS
hired by the district medical inspector. and
IL he fails to corral certain number OF
animals he is promptly succeeded by new
aspirant
This oriental professional resorts to
many ingenious ways in attempting to fool
the officials, and. Incidentally Increase his
revenue. When the trapping was started
the officials were none too strict, and 1t was
soon noticed that some of the trappers were
making quite an amount Of money. 1nves-
tlgation revealed the fact that oftertimes
one rat was made to do duty several times.
being kept on the grounds earning bounty
for It's captor until decomposition set in.
To remedy this the inspectors now make
each trapper bring his rats to the station
every morning. and there the right front
foot is chopped off and the rat Is labeled
with the street and the number Of the house
from which 1t came. All rats are then
taken to the crema tory.
But the clever native found a new means
of evading the law. He conceived the idea
of starting a rat farm. and before the au-
thorities were aware of 1t the business OF
breeding rodents. In order to collect the
bounty. assumed goodly proportions.
"Once month an auditing is made at
which time all the traps which are fur
nished by the authorities must be accounted
for by the catchers.
''One of the principal acts in this rat
drama Is enacted at the water front, where
every precaution Is taken to prevent rats
from coming ashore from ships arriving
from pla ~ue-infected ports of Asia. Car
goes are closely watched and while they
are being discharged tin tunnels are placed
on the hawsers to prevent the rodents from
reaching the wharf.