92 MOSQUITO ERADICATION 



appointment of inspectors, their duties, habits of Gambusia 

 (the anti-mosquito fish), establishment of aquaria, stocking of 

 streams and ponds, etc. 



Accounts of prosecutions should be brief, but complete, with 

 no comment. 



TEXTS FOR ARTICLES 



Texts for articles from time to time may be found in discoveries 

 of unusual breeding-places, decrease in incidence of mosquito- 

 borne diseases as reported by the physicians, compared with 

 previous years, statements by prominent local persons as to the 

 reduction of mosquitoes, comments by traveling men as to 

 conditions compared with other towns, visits by health officials, 

 etc. 



The writer used to make a practice of issuing a statement 

 immediately after every heavy rain, advising citizens to look over 

 their premises, dump the water out of any collections of tin cans, 

 inspect their roof gutters, screen their rain-water barrels and 

 cisterns, etc. The articles would be arranged a little differently 

 each time, but the substance would be virtually the same. 



Editors of the various newspapers are almost invariably 

 genuinely willing to co-operate in this way, taking the view that 

 the work is a public benefit for the town and worthy of being 

 "boosted." 



A few points, however, should be borne in mind in dealing 

 with the editors. They are usually busy men and have little 

 or no time for long-drawn-out conversations. When the director 

 has occasion to consult with them, he should be brief and to the 

 point. For the same reason, the director will stand a much 

 better chance of getting his publicity matter "over," if he will 

 write it out himself, than if he asks the editor to write it. 



In form, the articles should be short and snappy. Rarely 

 should an article reach half a column in length. Generally, they 

 should not run more than a quarter of a column. Nor should 

 they have long, involved preambles. The very first sentence 

 should uncover the root of the whole business. Long, technical 

 words should be avoided. Write the article "as though you 

 were telling it to the policeman." 



Another important point to be remembered is that the articles 

 must contain no disagreeable references to any person. No 

 comment should be made in regard to any one. Nothing will 



