266 THE MOSQUITOES OF NEW JERSEY 



one-half the state's land surface and annoying very seriously nearly 

 three-fourths of her population. 



With facts derived by this study in hand, the State Legislature was 

 induced to pass an act in 1905 providing for state aid to communities 

 that cared to spend their own funds in salt-marsh drainage for mos- 

 quito control. 



Local authorities with one exception, Elizabeth, utterly failed to take 

 advantage of this law and all the money appropriated, with the excep- 

 tion of $1,000 which was spent on the Ehzabeth marsh, was returned 

 to the state treasury. 



During 1905 Dr. Smith caused a rapid survey of the entire salt 

 marsh to be made and calculated on the basis of that work that the 

 necessary initial drainage could be completed by the expenditure of 

 $350,000. With the facts in hand the State Legislature enacted a law 

 charging the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station with the 

 duty of draining the salt marsh with such portions of the $350,000 as 

 the appropriations committee could be induced to give from year to 

 year. 



Beginning in 1906 the drainage of the salt marsh for mosquito con- 

 trol went forward on the basis of the act last quoted until its efforts 

 were supplemented in the year 1912 by an act which is known as 

 Chapter 104, Laws of 1912. 



The local campaign against mosquitoes in South Orange, under the 

 leadership of the South Orange Improvement Association, beginning 

 in 1901, continued steadily each year until it was taken over by the 

 Essex County Mosquito Extermination Commission and carried on un- 

 der the provisions of Chapter 104, Laws of 1912. 



In April, 1902, another anti-mosquito movement was started in Eliz- 

 abeth. There sixteen citizens subscribed twenty-five dollars each for 

 field work toward overcoming the pest. This was spent in oiling and 

 draining a small portion of meadow at the foot of Schiller Street. 



In April, 1903, the Elizabeth Board of Health, with a $1,000 appro- 

 priation, dug 40,000 feet of ditches, draining some 190 acres. These 

 were the first ditches to be dug by machine. 



The next to fall in line was Newark. Active work, though, was not 

 started until 1904, the Common Council that year voting the sum of 

 $5,000 for that purpose, having refused an appropriation the previous 

 year. 



On May 5, 1903, the Newark City Board of Health appointed one of 

 its members, Frederick W. Becker, M.D., a committee to inquire into 

 the question of mosquito extermination. Several reports were submitted. 



