1018 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 57 



Or in a form similar to the following communication from the Paterson 

 Press- Guardian . 



" To the Editor of the Press-Guardian: Sir, — Now that the Mosquito Commission has 

 announced that its operations for this season are ended, it would seem to be a proper 

 time to call attention to the great success of its operation. I have lived in Paterson more 

 than forty years and in my recollection we have never had so much freedom from 

 mosquitoes as during the past season, and this in spite of the fact that the conditions 

 for breeding mosquitoes early this season were ideal. The result, I believe, can only in 

 fairness be attributed to the mosquito extermination work. 



" When this work was inaugurated a few years ago, many people were doubtful of 

 the result and seemed to feel that money appropriated for the mosquito extermination 

 work would be money wasted; but it seems to me that any unprejudiced person, com- 

 paring conditions during the past summer with previous years must realize that the 

 nuisance has been reduced to a minimum and that the monev invested in this work has 

 been well spent. 



" Let us give due credit to David Young as well as to the members of the Com- 

 mission and others engaged in the work who have given the matter time and study and 

 hard work, and when the Commission applies for its next appropriation let it have the 

 money without hesitation. Not only does this work promote the comfort of the resi- 

 dents of Paterson but, if continued, it must enhance real estate values, which have 

 suffered in the past from the widespread and free advertising received by the ' Jersey 

 Mosquito.' 



" Paterson, Oct. 10, 1917." 



While this sort of approval is necessary it is a rather poor yardstick by which 

 to measure the value of permanent work. 



tJnfortunately increases in real estate values are dependent upon so many 

 factors that one finds it extremely difficult to separate the effect of mosquito control 

 from the operation of other factors. We can, however, say that the development 

 when it is a matter of building up high-class residence districts will not occur 

 where the country is infested by hordes of mosquitoes. A calculation prepared in 

 1912 shows that the taxable values of shore properties from Jersey City to Sea 

 Bright had increased since mosquito work had begun at least 6V2 millions, and that 

 the increase ranged from about 15 per cent, in the manufacturing districts to 300 

 per cent, in some of the residence districts. 



If we may assume that a reasonable freedom from the mosquito pest is pre- 

 requisite to large industrial development, and the writer believes that the assump- 

 tion is in most cases susceptible of proof, an examination of the increase in taxable 

 values on the Newark meadows, which were formerly as badly mosquito infested 

 as any part of the State of New Jersey, will serve as an instance to show the de- 

 velopment which anti-mosquito work has made possible. 



The meadow comprises about 4,000 acres. Anti-mosquito work began many 

 years ago, became intensive in 1912, and has continued until the present. The 

 taxable value of those marshes and the tax from them are shown in the following 

 table : 



Year. Taxable "Value. The Tax Increase. 



1913 -. $1,735,000 $19,656 



1914 2,192,000 22,064 



1915 2,251,000 30,390 



1916 3,750,000 64,155 



In 1912 the tax was $19,656 and in 1916 it was $64,155, making an increase 

 oi $44,499, or over 300 per cent. In 1912, 286 men were employed in factories on 

 these meadows with a yearly wage of $152,000. In 1916, 6,341 men were em-' 

 ployed with a payroll of $2,863,000. 



In dealing with salt marshes, as a by-product pf the drainage necessary for 

 mosquito control, we find a decided increase in the annual yield of salt hay. The 



