Proceedings of Fifth AnnuaIv Meeting 97 



Another thing I desire to warn you of. Do not, under any 

 circumstances, or for whatever cause, lead people to expect too 

 much too soon. Inform them frankly that you can accomplish 

 just so much thorough work with so much money and no more. 

 If they are not willing to spend enough to obtain results, do noth- 

 ing, for a half-way job hurts the work more than it helps. If 

 there are billions of mosquitoes on a given area, and you get rid 

 of all but a million, no one knows it, and as soon as they get 

 stung they pronounce the work a failure, and are confirmed in 

 their opinion that the scheme was foolish. So' I repeat, empha- 

 size ''thorough" all the time; harp on ''up-keep," and don't 

 waste money on unessentials. In that way you will, in time, get 

 the confidence of the people, and once confidence is won the rest 

 will be easy. 



I would urge the organization of a proper patrolling force, 

 properly equipped with the tools of their profession, which are 

 three in number, namely, a potato hook, a spade and a long- 

 handled shovel. Avoid surplus of high-salaried helpers who 

 prefer a situation to a job. Superintendence is necessary, but a 

 very few good men are more useful than many indifferent ones. 

 Allow no oil cans on drained marshes. If properly drained they 

 need no oil, and it is not only a waste of money, but it kills the 

 fish, which are a positive help in the trenches. 



As to what was accomplished in Greater New York during 

 the past year, I will be very brief. On January 15, 191 7, the 

 4,000,000-foot contract was completed adjacent to Jamaica Bay. 

 On March 19, the supplementary contract was started. On Sep- 

 tember 19 it was finally completed; 1,050,000 feet of ditching 

 was dug on this contract. 



In the meantime, contracts were let and completed at Flush- 

 ing, Elmhurst and Corona, where 639,000 feet were dug. A 

 drainage canal was provided at Mill Creek 4 feet by 4 feet 

 by 1,800 feet. At College Point a contract for 220,000 feet was 

 completed, all in the Borough of Queens. Since then, there has 

 been let and started but not completed an additional contract for 

 100,000 feet at College Point, a new contract for the same num- 

 ber of feet at Bayside and Douglaston, Queens, and a contract 

 for 750,000 feet in the Bronx. This Bronx contract is in addi- 

 7 MOS 



