View report page

96
NOISE.
I welcome the intention of the London County
Council to promote legislation to deal in some
small measure with the serious nuisance of noise.
The close proximity of much of the housing accommodation
in the Borough to factories and other
noise producing agencies makes it urgently necessary
that there should be some public control of a nuisance
liable to cause injury to health.
RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT, 1919.
No formal notices were served under the Act
during the year. A number of complaints as to rat
infestation have been investigated and dealt with
and occupiers of premises have been advised in the
matter. Poor occupiers have been assisted by the
supply of rat poison, 101 tins of treated biscuits and
one bottle of Squill being issued in this way, while
432 tins of biscuits were used as baits in the sewers
in the quarterly campaigns described later.
The systematic measures for rat destruction for
one week every three months continued during the
year, and the following statistics illustrate the
measurable results :
Baits laid (in 298 manholes) 17,292
Baits missing 16,132
Percentage of baits missing 93
Other methods of destruction carried out on an
experimental scale have been as follows :—
Rats killed
Breakback traps 240
Dustbin traps 212
Cage traps 38
In the absence of more energetic action by landlords
and the occupiers of business premises and the
application of scientific methods on a large scale,
it may be doubted whether our present efforts very
materially affect the rat population.