I03 



Conservation in this matter is a little unusual. It has no im- 

 mediate and direct interest in undertaking the work that is pro- 

 posed here on its own behalf. It finds the counties actively 

 engaged, it finds the experiment stations and the State Entomolo- 

 gist ably directing the line of work which is producing results ; 

 but it finds all these agencies more or less hampered by a lack 

 of co-ordination, by gaps due to failure of this county or that 

 county to take up the work or to find the funds, or for what 

 reason you will. It finds above all that, contrary to the almost 

 universal rule, the State is paying about five per cent, of the cost 

 and the local counties paying ninety-five per cent, of the cost. 

 Now, take in a situation where the State itself, the people gen- 

 erally, are so largely concerned, that is not a fair situation; and 

 our board has reached the conclusion that it is high time the 

 State should take up this question ; take it up, I mean, in a very 

 practical way and provide the money support to carry the work 

 of salt-marsh mosquito icontrol to a conclusion within a definite, 

 measurable time. To put it squarely, from the best information 

 that we have been able to get it is apparently within reason to 

 expect the State of New Jersey to clean up the salt marshes 

 within five years. 



The cost is small, when you come to think of it, about $750,- 

 000 — $150,000 a year for five years — will, if any of us are right 

 in our outlook, return to the State in increased land values, in 

 increased population, in greater productivity of its soils, in better 

 repnte, in innumerable ways that you all can think of, returns 

 by ten and a hundred- fold on its outlay. 



Now, the sum of all I have to say is this : you have an organ- 

 ization in the State government which is positively, definitely 

 committed to this proposition. I do not know that we can carry 

 it through. We are new, we are inexperienced, and the State is 

 poor, or thinks it is. But if the counties of this State can pay 

 out every year, as they are now doing, upwards of $200,000 to 

 carry on this mosquito work, I do not believe I am. missing much 

 when I say that if Jersey does not start in with a pretty good 

 proportion of that amount this year she will do it next year, and 

 if she doesn't do it next year it will come not long after. At any 

 rate, I can assure you most positively that there is and there 



