The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-08-02
in which to breed

Recognizing this fact many commun-
titles throughout the United States have
gained relief. and demonstrated beyond
doubt the feasibility of Kidding any
mosquito infested locality of the null
sance.
The results Of work of this character
prove conclusively that for any COM
munity or country to submit to the
presence of mosquitoes, I'm so great
numbers. as has formerly occurred
throughout this Territory. is great
| mistake.
Something over year ago, through
the efforts of public-spirited citizens
al organization was talked of whose
object would be to take some definite,
vigorous action in Kidding this parti-
oular community of mosquitoes. This
idea was heartily endorsed by the
local Board of Health, and arrange
ments were soon made to have what
ever work was instituted carried on
under their direction. A committee
whose chairman was president of the
Board Of Health, was at once formed,
and plans made for a systematic cam
paign, the details of which have al
ready been presented to the general
public through the press, and various
reports of your agent.
1t was soon made evident that the
work would require the entire time and
| attention of superintendent. AT once
tho question of funds to pay the sal
airy of such a man, and the incidental
expenses arose. 1t is gratifying to say
that in spite of the general depression
at that time, an amount sufficient to
meet the demand was pledged, a SUI
perintendent appointed and work be-
gun.
To start WITH some of the most in
! telligent of our community were very
dubious as to our being able to ac-
complish anything. giving as some of
their reasons that mosquitoes lived
in damp grass, in algeroba trees, in
fern leaves, etc, all of which are i'm
possibilities.
These impressions have probably been
gathered from the fact that mosquitoes
seek shelter in all of the above men,
toned places.
With the assistance of the regular
force of sanitary inspectors, a system
attic search for, and collection of tin
cans. pots, pans, bottles and all con-
| tainers likely to hold water, was made
and this debris carted to a scow and
dumped far out at sea. To demon
strate the good We claimed would re-
suit from such cleaning up. and to in
terest the citizens in the campaign,
this work was done without any ex-
| pense whatever to the householder,
and carried on for some months, sew
eral hundred tons of such rubbish be-
ing so disposed of, after which time,
the inspectors have been getting peo-
| pie, that do not use the regular gar
bage service, to bury the Objectionable
| containers. This with the usual warn
! ing against standing water, an appeal
| to regularly oil cesspools etc. and
thorough distribution of circulars giving
instructions as to mosquito control
Board of Health circular No. 1-were
the first steps taken.
The public havebeen encouraged to
report places where mosquitoes were
unusually thick, and in no case where
such complaint has been made. follow
ed up, and the instructions of the ex-
aiming inspector followed out have
tue pests been as troublesome as be-
| fore. In most cases the annoyance has
| been done away with altogether. This
| Is no hasty conclusion from one single
| instance, but result from scores of ex
| periences extending from Waikiki to
| Waialua
There are very few of the general
public, that do not recognize the good
accomplished, and the difference in the
mosquito nuisance noticed in and
around Honolulu, since the work start
ed. A very conservative estimate is
| that there are at least fifty per cent
less than usual. With the experience
gained in this years work 1t is the
opinion of your agent that next sea-
son a still better showing will be made
With regard to the cooperation of
the different departments, with the
| Board of Health to assist this move
ment, while all have assisted to the
fullest extent, the Department of Pub
lie Works must be specially mentioned.
Every appeal for assistance has been
granted from the loan of gang of
prison laborers to ditch, clean, or drain,
a team of mules or wagon to gather
| tin cans, to the loan of a shovel or
rake. All of these and many other
| favor have been asked for and grant
ed readily. With such assistance from
| the different departments, the work is
made much easier and more effective.
| AS far as possible for some time con-
siderable worl; has been done on per-
manent improvements, such as filing,
draining, or ditching, so that should
such another wet spell come, as we had
during the early part of this year,
! there will not be as many places to
hold the water. In one instance here
in town, one owner at the suggestion of
! your agent obtained nearly 100 loads of
black sand to fill in a low-lying spot.
Dozens of instances where the amount
of filling required varied from few
wheelbarrow loads, to a dray load,
have been run across, and in every in
stance one more breeding place has
been permanently done away with.
This campaign which was started
not for the purpose of killing every
mosquito on the Islands, more as an
experiment and with the idea of doing
away with as many of the pests as
possible, has shown us clearly what
can be done, and il is sincerely hoped