The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-07-11

Three cents each, dead or alive, re-
gardless of size, is the price offered by
the city of Pensacola for rats, accord
ing to the resolution adopted by the
city council in regular session last
night, at which time an appropriation
OF $3.50 was made for this purpose.
The rats are to be delivered to the Of
fee Of DR.. F. A. Brink, state bacteri-
ologist, in the city hall, and the offer
goes into effect Immediately.
The action referred to was taken by
the council after hearing from DR., s.
r. Mallory Kennedy, the local repre-
sentative of the United States marine
hospital service. who addressed the
council on the necessity of taking pre-
Cautions against bubonic plague en-
tering this port DIR. Kennedy stated
that he had taken the matter up on
the advice of DR.. Blue, surgeon general
of the United States marine hospital
service, who is an authority on bu-
homie plague and who had stamped It
out in San Francisco.
Dr. Kennedy said that the surest
NSSy Of preventing this dread disease
is 10 exterminate the rats and said that
he had wired and asked DR.. Porter,
president of the state board OF health,
If the state would share the expense
of a campaign for rat determination in
Pensacola. He said DR.. Porter had
station In this city would lend assist
ance and that he had then taken the
matter up with the mayor and the
city health officer and had made an
appointment to meet the city board OF
health to discuss the proposition yes
terday afternoon, but had been un-
avoidably prevented from filing his
engs cement, was why he came before
the council.
is DREAD PLAGUE.
DIR. Kennedy said that an epidemic
of bubonic plague is far more danger
Gus and dreadful than any yellow fever
epidemic, as the death rate is very
high, being almost 80 per cent. In
San Francisco, he said, out of 12l
cases, 80 were fatal. This disease Is
now prevalent in Cuba and Porto Rican
ports.
He called attention to the fact that
the city of Mobile had offered 5 cents
eech for rats and suggested that Pen
sacola do likewise. "At five cents each
for $500 you can get 10000 rats, which
is some rats" said DIR. Kennedy.
After some discussion, a motion
made by Alderman Fisher TO the effect
that $3.50 be appropriated for imme-
date use and that, In the meantime,
DIR. Kennedy ask the state board Of
health to appropriate an equal amount,
ii being understood that IL the state
board does not comply with the re-
quest that the council will make an
other appropriation OF $3.50 at the next
meeting, and that the price to be paid
be three cents each. was adopted.
It is also understood that the mayor
viii issue a proclamation advertising
this fact and that he urge the FISH
dealers and others along the water
front to exert their efforts to kin rats
on their premises, as suggested by Re-
ccrder Welsh, who was present at the
meeting.
WIRES DR.. PORTER.
Immediately after leaving the cum
ell chamber last night, DR.. Kennedy
sent the following telegram to DIR.
Joseph Y. Porter, state health ofhcer,
at Jacksonville:
Joseph Y. Porter, State Health or
ficer, Jacksonville, Fla.
"City council tonight appropriated
$3.50 for determination rats and in-
Continued on Page Eight.)