178 



and distribution of malaria in the county and as to the distribu- 

 tion of different species of mp'squitoes. His work seems to have 

 demonstrated that salt-marsh mosquitoes from, the south shore 

 may invade the north shore communities in appreciable numbers, 

 but that they are not respoiisible for the major part O'f the an- 

 noyance there. Heretofore it had been supposed by some that 

 they were responsible for practically all mosquitoes on the north 

 shore, others claimed that they never reached the north shore in 

 appreciable numbers. In concluding- his work Mr. Bennett left 

 a valuable report on the result of his investigations and accom;- 

 plishments. Early in December the Commission effected a per- 

 manent or!g,anizatioii with Mr. Pratt as chairmian and myself as 

 treasurer. Mr. Buttrick was appointed chief engineer, and Mr. 

 Vogler, formerly of the Bergen County Commission, as his 

 assistant, and the work of the Rockaway Peninsula MosquitO' 

 Extermination Corporation, w[hich had heretofore been carried 

 on without respect to the county work, was merged with it as 

 far as the technical control was coincerned. On December 5th 

 a contract was let to Messrs. Brown and Simpson for the cutting 

 of upwards of 900,000 feet of trench on the south shore connect- 

 ing up with the work of the Rockawiay Peninsula Corporation. 

 A few thousand feet wiere cut before the winter set in. The 

 work will be resumed in the spring. 



It is rather too early to give an extended account of the plans 

 of the Commission. The engineers are hard at work collecting 

 data and making surveys and plans for starting the work next 

 spring on both north and south shores with a full organization. 

 They will attempt, first, the cleanup work on the areas already 

 ditched on both shores; second, the carrying forward of the 

 contract already let, and third, starting a new contract for 

 approximately one and a quarter million feet of trench, which 

 will be dug out of the appropriation for 19 17, and will join on 

 to the work now 'under way. By another year we should have 

 our work thoroughly organized and be well along on extermina- 

 tion work necessary to put the county in a mosquito-proof con- 

 dition. With an annual budget of about $48,500' we can expect 

 to accomplish a great deal. 



