65 



feet of ditches while the weather lasted, and so we were obliged 

 to advertise again. The next time we were very much surprised 

 to receive a bid as low as 1.89, and we gave the contract to Mr. 

 Manahan, who is now at work in the lower portion of Ocean 

 County, the extreme southern end of it, cutting 200,000 feet of 

 ditches. We will probably systematize that work this spring 

 ourselves, and our purpose will be with the balance of the money 

 to go over and perfect the system all over the county. Some of 

 it is far from perfect, and there are sections right in the drained 

 area that have not been touched at all. 



We feel that with this development in Ocean County there is 

 wonderful cause for congratulation, and hope that the time may 

 come when even Ocean County may be free from its mosquitoes. 



Gentlemen, you will excuse me if I say that between Little 

 Egg Harbor and Bay Head is the finest line of beaches in the 

 State of New Jersey. Ocean County is next to the largest 

 county in the State of New Jersey, and its future, as anyone can 

 see, will He in the development of its beaches and seaside resorts 

 from Point Pleasant to Little Egg Harbor Inlet. 



The enclosed lines up there, the dark lines, include the section 

 of meadows that we have already taken care of. We have about 

 40,000 acres of salt marsh, of which about 24,000 are now taken 

 care of. We have not done any work between Seaside Park 

 and Barnegat Inlet. We have commenced in the lower end of 

 the count}^, where the mosquitoes breed in largest numbers. 

 There is a great deal of territory about the wireless station, and 

 we expect to drain it by combindng our efforts with those of the 

 State Experiment Station. Long Beach Township, which ex- 

 tends along the ocean from Barnegat Inlet to Little Egg Harbor 

 Inlet, is much interested in this work, and gave us $400 to prose- 

 cute such work as we could in their neighborhood. Last year 

 we dug about 75,000 feet of ditches right in that section, and 

 we have very good testimonials of the protection which that 

 work afforded. 



Chairman Brinkerhof^F — Cape May County, Mr. Miller 



5 MO 



