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inland swamps have been drained by means of ten million four 

 hundred and one thousand five hundred and forty- four (lo,- 

 401,544) linear feet of ditches. 



In 1900 Dr. Alvah Doty, then Health Officer of the Port of 

 New York and member of the Board of Health of the City of 

 New York, began conducting experiments with a view to elimi- 

 nating the mosquito from Staten Island, which was probably one 

 of the worst infested places on the eastern coast. He found, in 

 looking over the salt marshes, that mosquitoes were breeding in 

 vast numbers in small pockets and pools. A survey was made 

 and a report submitted. The Department of Health became in- 

 terested in the crusade through Dr. Doty's efforts, and money to 

 start the work was procured and a contract let. The writer was 

 then employed to supervise the contract. 



The drainage work was commenced on October 29, 1905, and 

 has continued to date. There are ten square miles of salt-marsh 

 lands on the Island. New York City has expended, for the 

 drainage and maintenance of these lands, up to January i, 191 7, 

 one hundred and fifty thousand (150,000) dollars, and this work 

 is still being continued under the supervision of the Sanitary 

 Engineer of the Health Department. 



Work has been progressing in the other boroughs since April 

 I, 1908. A number of contracts were let by the Department, 

 but the greater portion of the work in these boroughs, previous to 

 last year, was done under orders and notices served on the owners 

 of the property affected. A small but efficient maintenance force 

 is employed by the Department, and its services are available 

 anywhere within the city limits. 



Ever since 1905 the city has expended considerable time and 

 money in the work of mosquito extermination, but save in the 

 borough of Richmond, where the work was done systematically 

 and at public expense, were the results obtained commensurate 

 with the cost. 



It was repeatedly shown that mosquito elimination by private 

 enterprise, even when ordered by the Health Department, was 

 not entirely satisfactory, for the reason that not all owners could 

 be served, and the undrained areas thus left nullified in a large 

 measure the work done by those who could be served with orders. 



