OFFICIAL OPPOSITION 77 



the people, although the mosquito-inspectors and their 

 workmen entered every house in the town once every 

 week to destroy mosquito-larvse. On the other hand, 

 opposition was encountered, and from the most un- 

 expected sources. It came from the highly educated 

 and believed-intelligent officials whose duty it was to 

 further the progress of health in a community notorious 

 for its filth and disease. They began their opposition 

 early. First they said that the work was unnecessary. 

 Then they said that it could not be done ; that the 

 moment was unpropitious ; that riots would be caused ; 

 and that they could not undertake the responsibility of 

 incurring the displeasure of the powers that be. Then 

 they said that there was no money. This was at the 

 beginning. 



But these difficulties were overcome. A Company 

 possessing great local interests was appealed to, and it 

 found the necessary funds at once. Then the officials, 

 fearing that the Company would obtain too much power 

 in the place, were forced to subscribe too, and this made 

 them angry but the work was started. It progressed, 

 it flourished, it succeeded. But the official opposers 

 were not daunted. They gave up their frontal attack 

 to start a running, flanking fight. They began a policy 

 of pin-pricks. The instigator was their servant ; they 

 would make him suffer ; and they did. But they did 

 not at first attack him directly, but smote his kith and 

 kin. They punished him by sending his brother, who 

 was also their servant, to a distant post in a bad 

 climate ; then they bullied the kinsman. They tried 

 hinted accusations against him ; and at last they drove 

 him from their service, thrusting him without warning 

 into the world to starve. But the work went on, 

 spreading, improving, reclaiming, converting an iri- 

 6* 



