48 



is anything that can be said in connection with the work of 

 mosquito extermination that pays the Commission a greater com- 

 phment; and perhaps I should have added in telHng you who I 

 am that I am a member of the State Association, and I am very 

 glad to be present. There is no greater compliment that can be 

 paid to the association and the active commissions in the counties 

 than to say or to let you know that the prejudice in Bergen 

 County particularly has so fallen down against this movement 

 that it has been really easy to get this appropriation of $20,000 

 among ourselves just as seven men, for we had not to consult 

 anybody else as to what should be done about it. But there was 

 no dissenting man, whereas a year ago the Commission asked 

 for an appropriation of $21,000, which is equivalent to the 

 $14,000 that we had and $7,000 from the State, and it almost 

 precipitated a fight in the board. 



For years I have had a great deal of faith in the work of the 

 extermination of the mosquito, and for years I have been advo- 

 cating, in my own small way, measures to be taken with the 

 belief that nothing could contribute to the value or the better- 

 ment or to the physical and material and commercial assets of 

 Bergen County like the extermination of the mosquito. Recently 

 I was present in my own home town at a Republican Club meet- 

 ing. We have a very fine club, and we meet in a very fine place, 

 and there was a very fine lot of men present. After the body 

 came to order somebody suggested that we take up the mosquito 

 extermination, and so they pitched in. My predecessor on the 

 Board of Freeholders from the southern end of Bergen County 

 was present. I had personally little to say, but he made really 

 a considerable noise in the community, did have a great deal to 

 say. My predecessor, in discussing the matter of the appropria- 

 tion, recommended to me, as the present freeholder, not to give 

 the Commission a cent. Now, every organization, the women's 

 clubs and town improvement and everywhere, we hear nothing 

 but words of praise. 



Now, if you will permit me without any self-ipraise, to say that 

 one evening while attending a meeting of the Commission I 



