Proceedings of Eighth Annual Meeting 47 



salt marsh areas as far back as the year 1903 by private contribu- 

 tions donated by wealthy property owners of Rumson and Mon- 

 mouth Beach. 



After their installation the proper maintenance and control was 

 neglected and they became partly filled up and conditions were almost 

 as bad as before. 



The commission since its activities begun seven years ago is 

 engaged in the recutting of some of those old ditches and installing 

 new ones from year to year in addition to the maintenance work. 



Last season during the most critical time or the breeding season a 

 prolonged rainy period added to the difficulty of controlling the salt 

 marsh species, but in spite of this condition the commission suc- 

 ceeded in keeping the mosquito annoyance down to a fair degree of 

 immunity. 



The population of Monmouth County, especially along its bay and 

 seashore sections is increased during the summer season to over 500 

 per cent., and would be subjected to the onslaught of the salt marsh 

 mosquito were it not for the constant drainage and maintenance 

 work being done every year on these salt marsh areas. 



As a result of this work much of this land which formerly was 

 considered useless by mosquito annoyance has become built up with 

 summer homes and their inhabitants are enjoying the comforts of 

 the bay and ocean breezes and the mosquito annoyance in these sec- 

 tions is considered to be 90 per cent, efficient. 



This could not have been possible had the salt marsh areas not 

 been drained to say nothing of the hundreds of thousands of dollars 

 added to the tax ratables, which is an important factor to be con- 

 sidered. 



The Monmouth County Extermination Commission believes that 

 for every dollar expended in mosquito extermination work at least 

 two or three dollars have been returned in increased values of the 

 tax ratables to say nothing of the human comfort that is enjoyed in 

 districts that formerly were mosquito ridden territories. 



The maintenance and control of the mosquito work in Monmouth 

 County for the year 1920 was very successful and proved to be one 

 of the best years since the commission began its activities. 



Secretary Headlee : Mr. Chairman, I would like to make a 

 remark relative to the papers that have been read. There are cer- 

 tain points, it seems to me, that need emphasis. You will note all the 

 way through that there is more or less of a tendency on the part of 

 the commissions to secure local co-operation. In the counties where 



