Proceedings of Sixth Annual Meeting 



121 



had embarked on the enterprise of ridding itself of one species of 

 its mosquitoes. The money was to be expended under the direction 

 of the Agricultural Experiment Station. 



It became necessary for those interested in mosquito work to use 

 all kinds of methods and arguments with the various Legislatures 

 to get them to see the state-wide nature and necessity of mosquito 

 control, and to grant the maximum $50,000. They have never under- 

 stood, apparently, that the State, by its enactment of the law of 1906, 

 committed itself to state-wide mosquito extermination, but have 

 been slackers on the job ever since. The largest appropriation we 

 ever received was $30,000, and there happened to be a mosquito 

 fighter that wasn't a pacifist, on the Appropriation Committee. The 

 appropriation has been as low as $5,000, and one year dropped 

 out altogether. 



These appropriations, meager as we feel them to be, have served 

 to keep up an organization directed by the Experiment Station 

 under the control of the Entomologist. Many thousand feet of 

 ditches were cut in upper and middle counties, suffering from salt 

 marsh mosquitoes, but best of all, the people were inspired and 

 educated and made to believe in the possibilities of the work. 



We can easily see that the difficulties in the pathway, early sug- 

 gested organization. These few men referred to called themselves 

 the "Village Improvement Society of South Orange." Later "The 

 American Society for the Control of Mosquitoes" was formed, 

 consisting of Spencer Miller, Dr. John B. Smith, Henry Clay Weeks, 

 and others. This lasted about four years, then the "North Jersey 

 Mosquito Extermination League" was formed, the membership of 

 which consisted largely of the Boards of Health of New Jersey. 



In 1912 the law creating the "County Mosquito Extermination 

 Commissions" was passed. These Commissions are appointed by 

 the Justice of the Supreme Court, and consist of six men who serve 

 without pay. The Director of the Experiment Station is a member 

 ex-officio of each commission. 



Annually the Commissions submit a budget for the ensuing year 

 to the Director of the Experiment Station. When he approves, he 

 signs it and it is forwarded to the Director of the Board of Chosen 

 Freeholders, and it then becomes mandatory on the said Board to 

 include this amount in the next tax levy. 



