oil Mosquito Extermination. 51 



Of course, until the abatement of the mosquito nuisance 

 is made one of the specific duties of the boards of health, they 

 will in many cases be slow to act. It will also be found in 

 many localities that complete immunity from the mosquito 

 nuisance cannot be secured without considerable expenditures 

 for drainage, etc., for which it would not be possible to provide 

 without legislative authority for the issue and sale of bonds to 

 raise funds for the purpose. 



It, accordingly, seems to nie that while very much can be 

 done by the public authorities under the existing laws, legis- 

 lation for the following purposes is desirable: 



1. To authorize appropriations of public moneys to boards 

 of health and State entomologists to aid in the investigation of 

 subjects connected with the mosquito extermination problem 

 and stimulating public interest in the subject. 



2. To specifically make the mosquito nuisance one of the 

 subjects requiring attention from the boards of health. 



3. Permitting counties, cities, villages and towns to issue 

 bonds to provide for the expense of comprehensive measures 

 for mosquito extermination. In this connection, I think a very 

 important legislative step would be to authorize the creation of 

 mosquito extermination districts, which might be subdivisions 

 of a county or a town, the taxpayers of which could be required 

 to bear the expense of the mosquito extermination measures 

 within their respective districts. Such a measure would obvi- 

 ate the difficulty which exists under the present law of taxing 

 an entire county or town for the expense of mosquito exter- 

 mination work which would benefit only a single community. 

 Precedents for such legislation are found in the lighting dis- 

 tricts, school districts and drainage districts which exist under 

 present laws. 



Chairman : The Secretary informs me that Dr. E. Porter 

 Felt, State Entomologist, has had the kindness to come here 

 from Albany. I know this Convention will listen with very 

 great pleasure to Dr. Felt. 



Dr. Felt: I wish to assure the parties present here that 

 it affords me much pleasure to be present, but I don't know 



