136 N. J. Mosquito Extermination Association 



In 1916 Massachusetts passed a law which was to supersede 

 the wet, rotten and spongy land act of i860, a law enacted largely 

 for the purpose of controlling the swamp land nuisances, offensive 

 because of their alleged miasmatic condition. The act of i860 gave 

 the boards of health the power to condemn and declare swamp 

 lands common nuisances, and the boards of health could go to 

 municipal councils and ask for an appropriation not exceeding 

 $2,000, a sum which would become eventually a lien upon the 

 property, for the purpose of affecting the drainage of the same. 



The law of i860 was superseded by the act of 1916, whereby 

 a Drainage Board was formed consisting of members of the State 

 Department of Agriculture and the State Board of Health. Very 

 little was accomplished however, under the new law. The act was 

 simplified in 1918. Now one member of the State Board of Health, 

 and one member of the State Department of Agriculture make up 

 this Drainage Board, and they have authority under this law, upon 

 petition by citizens who wish to have certain lands drained to form 

 local drainage commissions of the petitioning citizens to execute 

 the drainage law for the economic improvement of the land for agri- 

 cultural purposes as well as for the protection of the public health. 



The result has been that only a few citizens have awakened to 

 the opportunities offered. However, there is a duty imposed upon 

 this commission, for the state commission is directed to study 

 the reclamation of swamp lands for agricultural purposes and this 

 work is being now efficiently planned and executed, even if the 

 citizens fail to avail themselves of the initiative by forming local 

 district drainage boards. 



Except from an educational standpoint, there has been very 

 little else done by the state. 



Now what have we been doing as municipalities? Brookline 

 started away back in 1901, through the activities of Dr. H. L. Chase, 

 who was the agent of the board of health at that time, and certain 

 citizens who lived in one of the residential parts of the town. 



These residents reminded Dr. Chase and the board of health of 

 that time, that the early settlers had found mosquitoes very prevalent 

 away back in colonial times when Brookline was part of Boston. 

 And they petitioned that the mosquito nuisance be abated. Dr. 

 Chase turned the matter over to the board. 



The petitioners called the board's attention to the fact that we 

 had a large number of cases of malaria since the arrival of Italian 

 labor in town, and if the Italians were to be employed upon the 



