Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-08-14
FACTORIES TO
HELP CAMPAIGN
Heads Meet With Health
Board AbOutRats.

After a general discussion at an
open meeting of the Board of Health
last night it was decided to have the
rat campaign waged in this city
under direct control of the board.
AFTER representatives of several fac
tories were heard Commissioner Leo
Schwartz introduced a resolution to
the effect that the campaign be in
the full power of the board and
THAT each factory be assessed the
sum of $50 towards the campaign.
Many of the factories along the
water front were represented and
each of them from the sentiments
expressed are more than willing to
Iconduct the rat campaign not only
to prevent bubonic plague but to
Save much destruction of material
by the rodents. James A. Hogg, an
expert rat catcher from New York,
lattended the, meeting and answered
Fall questions relative to the proposed
campaign. DR.. c. w. Naulty, Jr., DR.
Al. w. Fithian and DR.. G. w. Tyrrell
spoke at length on the matter.
Must Submit Plumbing Plans.
Commissioners in a hot discussion
decided to prosecute. any person OF
persons who do plumbing within the
Icity limits without first submitting
their plans. OF late several COM
fplaints have been brought to the at
ltention of the board of people doing
their own plumbing work without
consulting the board. A fine will be
imposed upon the first one caught
Violating this rule.
During the rat discussion 1t de-
,yeloped that several Of the chemists
representing the Roessler K Hass-
lacher Chemical Company raised the
argument that the fees emitting
from the dead rats were as danger
IL for the spread of disease az were
the rats themselves. Mr.. Hogg then
explained that when the rat 1s pois-
oned the fees which take the blood
will be poisoned also. To this sever
al present objected, saying that the
poison was not sufficiently strong to
kill the fees living in the hair OF
the rats.
DR.. G. w. Tyrrell gave a lengthy
talk on the subject and told the
board of his trip through India sew
eral FEARS ago when forty deaths
occurred a day from the bubonic
plague. The physician stated that
the money to be expended was only
a mere trife compared to the good
effect of the crusade against rats.
DR.. NauIty Gives Views.
Dr.. C. w. Naulty, Jr., under
whose care the campaign is to be
conducted, told of the work being
done by the Marine Service in an eff
fort to prevent the escape of rats
from ships coming from infected
ports. The doctor answered ques-
lions as to the methods of fumiga-
ton, etc. In a joking manner he
gave a vivid description of the con-
versation over the phone from peo-
pie who have captured rats and want
to take them to the home of the
doctor and ask five cents for them.
DR.. G.. w. Fithian, state health
officer, is not content with the cam
paign along the docks and factories
and asked for a general clean up of
>t.e pests throughout the city, 1t
was decided to first work along the
water front and then If any money
remains to work the stables and
other places within the city.
Superintendent Darrow, Of the
Barbar Asphalt Company, was pres
ent and told the board how the firm
he represented had killed thousands
of the pests by using arsenic on
meat. Several weeks ago the stunt
was first tried and Sc successful was
tlae undertaking that the remedy has
been repeated several times since.
Arsenic Used at Barber Plant.
Yesterday more bait was placed
at the factory but very little of it
was taken, showing a decrease in the
rat population at this plant. Def
mite arrangements for the campaign
will be made at the session of the
board next Tuesday night. Mr.. Hogg
asked the city for $3.50 to extermi-
nate about ninety-five per cent. OF
the rats here. Similar methods used
at the Barber Asphalt Company will
be started at once at the plant of the
American Smelling & Refining Com
pany.
Bad Odor from Sewer.
Residents along the water front
near Lewis street sen a communica-
ton to the board asking for the
abatement of a nuisance at Water
street between High and Lewis
streets. Here the sewer pipes ruE
into the river and at low tide the
stencil is unbearable, according tc
the complainants. Peter c.. Olsen
and Ruth R. Benton signed the docu-
ment.
The vital statistics for the month
Of July show forty-three marriages,
~siXty-eight deaths and 103 births.
The following factories were rep
resented at the open meeting: Perth
Amboy Cigar Company, Roessler &
Hasslacher Chemical Company, AM
er1can Smelling & Refining Com
pany, Raritan Copper Works, Barber
Asphalt Company, Gray's Marine
Railway, Marine Terminal Steamship
Company, Public Service Power
house, New Jersey Terra Gotta Com
pany, and several other smaller
places along the shore. To accom-
modate the crowd the session was
held in the council chamber.
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