DESTRUCTION OF RATS. USE OR RATIN AND SIMILAR VIRUSES. Memorandum by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.

7. I personally as Minister of Agriculture am not asking for the prohibition of the use of these preparations. So far as I am concerned the case is at the moment fairly evenly balanced. On the one hand I should naturally regret the suppression of an organisation which certainly kills a lot of rats. A lot of people believe in this method of rat destruction and will feel that we are discouraging the campaign if we prevent this method being used. On the other hand I am advised that although very little is known about the liability of this infection to spread to various forms of livestock, it would not be at all unlikely from the nature of the organism for it to do so, especially to poultry.