140 N. J. Mosquito Extermination Association 



of salt marsh mosquitoes remains unattractive. It gains in value 

 for home building purposes very slowly or not at all. Real estate 

 interests, boards of freeholders, our leaders in education and other 

 activities, journalism, business and transportation are forced to rec- 

 ognize that the mosquito must be considered a factor of economic 

 importance. They are forced to recognize that the salt marsh species, 

 covering a large territory and spreading from the coast inland, retard 

 the development of much of our suburban territory. The boards 

 of freeholders responsible for appropriations for county purposes 

 can not very well ignore any just demands that may be made upon 

 them by the county mosquito commissions. The latter, on their 

 part, have behind them the popular support and the popular urge, 

 and are in a position to insist that certain measures be taken to free 

 the entire county of a serious pest. As a result of this situation 

 active mosquito extermination commissions exist in all of the coast 

 counties. On the other hand, where the salt marsh mosquito prob- 

 lem is limited to only portions of the county, sufficient popular sup- 

 port has not developed in the past to make possible the organization 

 and survival of active mosquito commissions. Camden, Gloucester, 

 Salem and Cumberland Counties may be cited as instances in this 

 connection. In Camden County there was at one time an active 

 commission, but, because of the local rather than county-wide spread 

 of the salt marsh mosquito, popular support was lacking and the 

 board of freeholders refused the necessary support for county-wide 

 mosquito activities. In Cumberland and Salem Counties the coun- 

 ty-wide mosquito fight is beset with the same difficulties. Briefly 

 stated, therefore, there is no instance in New Jersey where fresh 

 water species alone have become sufficiently troublesome to make 

 possible the successful maintenance of county-wide anti-mosquito 

 activities. 



Recognizing the situation as it is, we are not relieved, nevertheless, 

 from the responsibility of extending to our inland counties such relief 

 as could consistently be extended to them through state or county 

 or local agencies. Early in the anti-mosquito campaign, the late 

 Dr. John B. Smith recognized that local authorities are mdeed a 

 weak stafif to lean on. It was because of this recognition that he 

 urged the passage of new legislation that would permit the organi- 

 zation of county commissions. The history of these is well known 

 to you and the record of their achievement has been discussed in 

 this meeting and in the meetings of recent years. Our problem now 

 is to find the means and to outline the methods that would so 



