The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-07-13

they do not. They disbursed the
money to the best advantage and
made an open account of every penny
received and disbursed. They did
their work without any compensation
whatever and they realized early that
they alone could not exterminate the
rats. It took more than them So
they organized a number OF sub-com-
mittees- They took the grocerymen of
the city, for example, and organized
them into a grocerymen's association,
and the vegetable vendors into an as
ISOLATION; each one to do its part in
rat determination. The citizens com
mittee undertook the work of organiz-
ing the several committees above men
toned and encouraged them in their
work. After the committees were or
ganized they went to work to find
ways and means to actually get down
to business.
Means of determination.
They found that rats can he at
tackled in three ways and that al
three are necessary. They must at
tack the rat itself by trapping, by
poisoning, with cats, ferrets and other
natural enemies; by attacking its food
supply which generally comes from
grocery stores, granaries, meat mar
kets. chicken yards, garbage cans
kitchens, etc, and by attacking and
opening up the hiding places of the
rat.
Favortte hiding places were found
to be under board walks, old lumber
piles, around old wharves, old iron,
etc. The 1umbermens association,
for example, found that they could
help by stacking the lumber above
the ground. In vacant lots old iron
was piled up, but stacked on pieces
set above the ground. 1t was found
that houses built above the ground
so that there was an open space IN
get were much freezer from rats than
those built close to the ground.
This, in a general way, indicates
starting point which is all that can
be done now. The rest the people
viii have to work out themselves, and
If they will not work it out them
selves, no power on earth can make
them do it or do 1t for them.
Not Far Distant.
Now, so far as we know, the plague
has not yet reached the state of
Florida, although it is only across the
channel, a distance seven hours from
Key West, twenty hours from Tampa,
with regular steamer sailings. and
probably fifty hours from Pensacola
via tramp steamers. The people in
our seaports may now be anxious.
out When the plague has been known
to be in Havana for a week and has
not yet shown up In Florida, this
anxiety will quiet down into sort of
lethargy, and 1t will be found more or
less difficult to get anything done
fear much that the necessity for keep
ing the plague out will not sum-
GENTLY impress itself upon our citizens
and that they will put off the day of
rat killing and rat prooding until they
find the plague actually among them.
The needful measures should be in
stituted along the waterfront of the
city, and it occurs to me that If a re-
ward is offered, one or two cents or
more for each rat taken and killed,
that some Roadway in determination
along the wharves and warehouses at
the face of the harbor, for it is here
that the trouble will commence If we
have any trouble at all from this out
break in Havana You and your CO.
adjutors-the city council-wfn have
to devise a plan for yourselves, for
each place is a unit within itself and
means that are practical and applica-
BILE to each locality must be devised.
! What would serve to good purpose
| in one seaport might not in another.
The state board Of health, as you
know. operates a state bacteriological
! laboratory in Pensacola, and If there
is found an unusual sickness or NOR
tally among rats, their carcasses can
be examined primarily to see II the
bacillus pests is present
Very truly yours,
JOSEPH Y. PORTER,
State Health Oficer.