Approx. 20,000 cases of murine typhus have been officially recorded in the U. S. during 1932-1941 and evidence gathered in the field makes it apparent that this disease is more prevalent than is indicated by official records. Effective control may be accomplished by extermination of rats. The author suggests the following ordinances be enacted by city councils to insure success of a typhus-control program based on permanent reduction of rats through exterior ratproofing: require all business places and other structures which may harbor rats to be ratproofed extensively as directed by the health officer and maintained in a rat-free condition; require agent, owner, or occupant to ratproof their premises as directed by health officer or pay costs of such measures when carried out by the health dept.; require all waste food or garbage upon which rats may feed to be stored so that it is inaccessible to the rodents; require that all premises be kept free of rubbish that may afford harborage for rats and that materials kept out-of-doors be stored so that rats cannot harbor in or under them; require that all new buildings be ratproofed during construction; and provide penalties for non-compliance.