Rat Proofing Buildings and Premises

Part 3

Chapter 32,532 wordsPublic domain

All buildings, outhouses, and other superstructures of class B separated from any other building on three sides by at least ten feet and lacking any basement or cellar may be rat proofed in the following manner, to wit: Said building, outhouse, or other superstructure shall be set upon pillars or underpinning of concrete, stone, or brick laid in cement mortar, or may be set upon underpinning of substantial timber, such pillars or underpinning to be not less than eighteen inches high, the height to be measured from the ground level to the top of said pillars or underpinning; and the intervening space between said building and the ground level to be open on three sides and to be free from all rubbish and other rat harboring material, or may be made rat proof by constructing at the margin of the ground area of said building a wall of concrete or brick or stone laid in cement; such wall to extend into and below the surface of the ground at least two feet and to meet the floor of the building above closely and without any intervening space, to be at least four inches thick and extend entirely around said building _Provided_, That said walls may be built with openings therein for ventilation only: _And provided further_, That such openings for ventilation may be all of such size as the owner may elect and shall be securely screened with metallic gratings having openings between the bars of said gratings of not more than one-half inch or with wire mesh of not less than twelve gauge, having openings between the wires of said mesh of not more than one-half inch and the whole so constructed and closed as to prevent the entrance of rats beneath such building.

Sec. 3. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That every restaurant kitchen, hotel kitchen, cabaret kitchen, dairy, dairy depot, dock, wharf, pier, elevator, store, manufactory, and every other building, outhouse, or superstructure wherein or whereon foodstuffs are stored, kept, handled, sold, held, or offered for sale, manufactured, prepared for market or for sale, except stables, shall be rat proofed in the manner provided for hereinabove as class A: _Provided_, That such part of any structure hereinabove defined as of class A that shall be entirely over a body of water may be rat proofed as of class B, as hereinafter provided for.

"Foodstuffs," as used in this ordinance, is hereby defined to be flour and flour products, animals and animal products, produce, groceries, cereals, grain, and the products of cereals and grain, poultry and its products, game, birds, fish, vegetables, fruit, milk, cream, and products from milk or cream, ice cream, hides, and tallow, or any combination of any one or more of the foregoing.

All other buildings, outhouses, and superstructures, except stables, not hereinbefore specified as class A, and all buildings used exclusively for residential purposes, shall be rat proofed in the manner provided for hereinabove as class B: _Provided_, That the owner of any building, residence, outhouse, or other superstructure in class B may, if he so elects, rat proof same in the manner provided for in class A.

_Provided_, That in any case where, under the foregoing provisions, any building, outhouse, or superstructure is required to be rat proofed as of class A and the said building or outhouse or superstructure is used in part for residential purposes, and the part used as a residence is effectively separated from the part falling within class A, by permanently and effectively closing all openings above and below the ground floor, or by constructing a new wall, and in either case the whole in such manner as to make such wall whole and continuous in its entirety, without doorways, windows, or other openings between the part used as a residence and that used for such purposes as makes it fall within class A, then in such case and for rat-proofing purposes only, the said building will, after such separation and closure of the openings, or by the construction of such new wall, be deemed to be two buildings; and that part used exclusively for residential purposes may be rat proofed in the manner provided for as a class B building, and the remaining part of said building shall be rat proofed in the manner provided for a class A building.

_Stables._--Stables and all buildings hereafter to be constructed and used for stabling horses, mules, cows, and other animals shall be constructed as follows:

Walls: The walls of such buildings shall be constructed of concrete, brick, or stone, laid in cement mortar, and shall be not less than four inches thick, and shall extend into and below the surface of the surrounding ground not less than two feet, and shall extend above the ground sufficient height as to be not less than one foot above the floor level. All openings in such foundation walls shall be covered with metal grating having openings not greater than one-half inch between the gratings.

Floors: The floors of stables and stalls shall be of concrete not less than three inches thick, upon which shall be laid a dressing not less than one-half inch thick of cement or stone, laid in cement mortar, or shall be constructed of floated concrete not less than four inches thick, in such way as to prevent ingress or egress of rats, and such floors to have a slope of one-eighth inch per foot to the gutter drain hereinafter provided for.

Stalls: The floors of stalls may be of planking, fitting either tightly to the concrete floor or elevated not more than one-half inch from the stall floor, and so constructed as to be easily removable. Such removable planking shall be raised at least once a week, and the said planking and the concrete floor beneath thoroughly cleansed.

Gutters: Semicircular or =V=-shaped gutters shall be constructed in such manner that a gutter shall be placed so as to receive all liquid matter from each stall, and each of these gutters to connect with the public sewer or with a main gutter of the same construction, which in turn shall be connected with the public sewer or public drain. All openings from drains into sewers shall be protected by a metal grating having openings not more than one-half inch between the gratings.

Mangers: Each manger shall be constructed so as to have a slope of two inches toward the bottom, shall be covered with tin or zinc, and shall be at least eighteen inches deep, to avoid spilling of food.

Feed bins: All feed bins shall be constructed of cement, stone, metal, or wood, and with close-fitting doors. If constructed of wood, the bins shall be lined or covered with metal, and the whole so constructed as to prevent the ingress or egress of rats. All grain, malt, and other animal food, except hay, stored or kept in any stable, must be kept in such feed bins. Said feed bins must be kept closed at all times, except when momentarily opened, to take food therefrom or when same are being filled. No feed shall be scattered about such bin or stable, and all such feed found on the floor or in the stalls of said stables shall be removed daily and placed in the manure pits. No foodstuffs intended for or susceptible of human consumption shall be kept or stored in any stable or any other place where animals are kept.

Sec. 4. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That the construction and materials used in rat proofing shall conform to the building ordinances of the city of --------, except and only in so far as the same may be modified herein.

Sec. 5. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That all premises, improved and unimproved, and all open lots, areas, streets, sidewalks, and alleys in the city of -------- shall be kept clean and free from all rubbish and similar loose material that might serve as a harborage for rats; and all lumber, boxes, barrels, loose iron, and similar material that may be permitted to remain thereon and that may be used as a harborage by rats shall be placed on supports and elevated not less than two feet from the ground, with a clear intervening space beneath, to prevent the harboring of rats.

Sec. 6. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That all planking and plank walks on and in yards, alleys, alleyways, streets, sidewalks, or ether open areas shall be removed and replaced with concrete, brick, or stone, laid in cement, gravel, or cinders, or the ground left bare.

Sec. 7. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That it shall be the duty of every owner, agent, and occupant of each building, outhouse, and other superstructure, stable, lot, open area, and other premises, sidewalk, street, and alley in the city of -------- to comply with all the provisions of this ordinance.

Sec. 8. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That it is hereby made the duty of --------, and particularly through its health department, to enforce the provisions of this ordinance.

Sec. 9. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That any law or ordinance in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance be, and the same is hereby, repealed.

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AN ORDINANCE REGULATING THE REMOVAL OF GARBAGE

Section 1. _Be it ordained -------- of the city of --------_, That from and after the promulgation of this ordinance, the owner, agent, and occupant of every premise, improved or unimproved, in the city of --------, whereon or wherein garbage shall be created, shall provide a metal, water-tight container or containers, each with a tight-fitting cover, such container or containers to be of such size as to be easily manhandled, and of such number as to receive the garbage accumulation of five days from each such premise, and shall place or cause to be placed such container or containers, for the purpose of having their contents removed, on the sidewalks or open alleys in front or rear of said premises, at the times hereinafter set forth.

Sec. 2. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That for the purposes of this ordinance, the city of -------- is hereby divided into -------- garbage districts.

Sec. 3. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That for the purpose of this ordinance, the word "garbage" as used in this ordinance shall be construed to mean house and kitchen offal, and all refuse matter not excrementitious liquid, and composed of animal or vegetable substances, including dead animals (except cows, horses, mules, and goats) coming from public and private premises of the city, and not destined for consumption as food.

Sec. 4. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That it shall be unlawful for such owner, agent, or occupant of any such premise to have, maintain, or keep any garbage on any premise except in such garbage containers as are provided for in section 1 of this ordinance.

Sec. 5. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That such garbage containers shall be kept tightly covered at all times, except when momentarily open to receive the garbage or to have the contents therefrom removed, as provided for hereinafter.

Sec. 6. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That when such garbage container is placed on the outside of any premise it shall be unlawful for any person engaged in the removal of garbage, or for any person to remove the cover from such garbage container, except for the purpose of emptying its contents Into a duly authorized garbage wagon or to throw such garbage container on the street or sidewalk, or to injure it in any way, so as to make it leak or to bend it or its cover, as to prevent said garbage container from being tightly covered; and all persons engaged in the removal of garbage shall, after emptying said container, replace the cover tightly on said container.

Sec. 7. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That the owner, agent, or occupant of every premise in the city of -------- shall keep separate from their garbage and ashes, tin cans, broken crockery, hardware, old planks, wooden matter, paper, sweepings and other trash, and place same in a sound, substantial vessel or container kept for that purpose, which vessel or container shall be placed on the sidewalk or alley in front or rear of each premise of the city of --------, as provided in section 1 of this ordinance, for garbage containers, for removal on --------, provided that such rubbish, other than garbage, may be so placed -------- on --------.

Sec. 8. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That the provisions of this ordinance shall apply to all public and private markets, as well as all places of business, hotels, restaurants, and all other premises, whether used for business, boarding, or residential purposes.

Sec. 9. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That for the purpose of enforcing this ordinance any person living on any premise shall be deemed an occupant, and any person receiving the rent, in whole or in part, of any premise, shall be deemed an agent; that on any premise where construction of any kind is in progress, and where employees or workmen eat their dinners, or lunches, In or about said premises, or scatter lunch or food in or about such premises, the contractor or foreman or other person in charge of such workmen shall be deemed an occupant; and that the person in charge of any market, or stall in any market, shall be deemed an occupant.

Sec. 10. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That it shall be unlawful for any person to pick from or disturb the contents of any garbage containers or vessels, or other containers provided for in this ordinance.

Sec. 11. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That each day's violation of any of the provisions of this ordinance shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.

Sec. 12. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That any person violating any provision of this ordinance shall, on conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than ten ($10.00) dollars nor more than twenty-five ($25.00) dollars, or in default of the payment of said fine by imprisonment -------- for not less than ten (10) days nor more than thirty (30) days, or both, at the discretion of -------- having jurisdiction of the same.

Sec. 13. _Be it further ordained, etc._, That any law or ordinance in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance, In whole or in part, be and the same is hereby repealed.

ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WHEN THIS PUBLICATION WAS LAST PRINTED

_Secretary of Agriculture_ Arthur M. Hyde. _Assistant Secretary_ R. W. Dunlap. _Director of Scientific Work_ A. F. Woods. _Director of Regulatory Work_ Walter G. Campbell. _Director of Extension Work_ C. W. Warburton. _Director of Personnel and Business W. W. Stockbebger. Administration_ _Director of Information_ M. S. Eisenhower. _Solicitor_ E. L. Marshall. _Weather Bureau_ Charles F. Marvin, _Chief_. _Bureau of Animal Industry_ John R. Mohler, _Chief_. _Bureau of Dairy Industry_ O. B. Reed, _Chief_. _Bureau of Plant Industry_ William A. Taylor, _Chief_. _Forest Service_ R. Y. Stuart, _Chief_. _Bureau of Chemistry and Soils_ H. G. Knight, _Chief_. _Bureau of Entomology_ C. L. Marlatt, _Chief_. _Bureau of Biological Survey_ Paul G. Redington, _Chief_. _Bureau of Public Roads_ Thomas H. MacDonald, _Chief_. _Bureau of Agricultural Economics_ Nils A. Olsen, _Chief_. _Bureau of Home Economics_ Louise Stanley, _Chief_. _Plant Quarantine and Control Lee A. Strong, _Chief_. Administration_ _Grain Futures Administration_ J. W. T. Duvel, _Chief_. _Food and Drug Administration_ Walter G. Campbell, _Director of Regulatory Work, in Charge_. _Office of Experiment Stations_ --------, _Chief_. _Office of Cooperative C. B. Smith, _Chief_. Extension Work_ _Library_ Claribel R. Barnett, _Librarian_.

U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1930

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C.

Price 5 cents

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Transcriber Notes

Illustrations were repositioned so as to not split paragraphs.