Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-11-15
DESTROY THE RAT.
And Save 200.O0Oy000 Worth Of Food
stuns for the war.

AT time when every grain Of wheat
ana every pound Of meat ID expected to
play as important role in the winning
OF Americas war as grain Of gunpowder
or pound Of steel when converted into
cannon or shot, DIR. Edward W. Nelson,
the noted biologist. points out, In a com.
munication to the National Geographic
Society. that rats are destroying more
than $2oo,oo0.00o worth Of foodstuffs and
other property In the United States every
twelve months, and that It requires the
constant labor Of 10000 men to supply
the food which these loathsome pests
eat. A part of DR.. Nelson's communica.
ton is issued by the Society as the
following war geography bulletin from it's
Washington headquarters:
RATS have been pests so long that they
have been taken for granted by the public
much as Is the weather or the forces of
nature. While people are often painfully
aware Of individual losses, they are un.
aware Of the vast total which these in
dividual sums aggregate and the con-
sequent need Of community action against
the authors Of such far.reaching econo-
mic drains.
Denmark, one half the size of South
Carolina, estimated her losses in 1907 at
about $3,000000. The same year the losses
and Ireland, not counting those in towns
and on ships, were estimated at $500 =
600. and a capital Of about 100000 was
probably employed there in the industry
OF supplying means for their destruction.
In 1904 the losses in France were computed
at $iOOo0.0OO.
THE United States has nine times the
combined area Of the three countries
| mentioned. and Investigations indicate
! that the direct annual losses here un-
doubtedy equal, II they do not exceed.
! 500. 900. and a great additional sum
, In indirect losses, including the effect on
| the public health and commerce from the
! diseases carried by rats, and the neces-
sary expenditures in combating them
The foregoing figures are based on pre-.
war prices and are vastly greater unde,
present valuations.
I'm Europe, about 1907. after careful
investigation. the estimated average an.
| nual loss caused by each rat was com.
puted to equal $3.50 in Great Britain, So
in Denmark. and 81 in France. In the
| United States the average is undoubtedly
much larger than in any Of the countries
named. especially at present high prices
Of food and other merchandise.
There Is no doubt that very large
number Of rats subsist WIDELY on gar.
\ bage and waste which Is Of no value, but
the damage caused by rats in numerous
places amounts to many dollars each
year; probably IS year would not b.
an overestimate for the average LOST
caused by each rat living In a dwelling
hotel. restaurant or other place having
ready access to food supplies.
Assuming, roughly speaking. that a.
estimated the rat population in the United
States is 50.000.0o0 for the cities and 15O
100000 for the rural districts. 1t will re
quire the destruction Of property by eacf
rat of only little more than one-fourtf
OF cent day to make the aggregat,
Of the great sum estimated as destroyed
by these pests yearly In this country.
Taking the average yearly returns OF
a mans labor in agriculture as show
by the census Of 1910. it requires the con
tinuous work Of about 100000 men. Will
farms. agricultural implements, and othe
equipment. to supply the foodstuffs de
stroyed annually by rats in the Unite,
States. In addition. rats destroy othe
property, mainly Of agricultural origin
the production of which requires the worl
of about 100000 men,"