The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1905-09-09
MOSQUITO WAR
IN HONOLULU
PINKHANTS REPORT
TO THE BOARD OF HEALTH on
THE PROGRESS MADE.


The report of President Pinkham at
yesterdays meeting Of the Board of
Health contained the following inter
esting items:
august list, 1904 the Honolulu Ship
pers' Wharf Committee placed at my
disposal, the sum of $4,000. I used of
this sum, S1146.22, in prosecuting
rat crusade, ending in January, after
having reduced the number to a mini
num-
"The Legislature declined to make
any appropriation for overcoming the
mosquito nuisance except one for tne
importation of larvae eating fish, al
though urged to grant $500 per month.
Public interest dragged so that the
agent of the Mosquito Committee had
to spend more time seeking funds than
destroying mosquito breeding places,
so the middle Of May he voluntarily
retired.
Upon the decision Of our planting
interests to make use of the new
Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico route
for shipments 1 determined to start
July LIST rat and mosquito campaign,
depending for funds on the balance Of
ST. S53 rs placed at my disposal.
1T is useless to start out to accom-
plish anything of moment in further
ing such an object unless the work
be continuous. The President of the
board will not attempt this work on
general small private subscriptions. l
therefore started on the basis of twelve
months work with the funds now avail
able.
after one months work have re-
ported to the Chairman of the Ship
per's Wharf Committee and requested
them to state if they desire the work
more vigorously and extensively pro-
secuted and also to state if they are
prepared to support additional work
with additional funds.
IF the public desires to contribute to
this work the money will be thankfully
received and applied.
During July l expended $40 for
labor and $24. 35 for supplies borrowed
horse from the county supervisors
and a wagon from our own depart
ment and fitted the latter for eXpedi'
tious and thorough work.
Il have prepared special blank books
in which will be recorded every catch
basin and all places known to breed
MOSQUITOES, and arranged to show
a continuous record of the measures
taken to rid each spot of the mosquito
larvae or to eliminate the nuisance. IL
we desire to abolish breeding places l
find the only prompt and efficient way
is to take the work into our own hands
This we have done by securing carts
from the county supervisors and prison
labor from the High Sheriff and fur
nishing our own lunas
In July we filled 1900 lineal feet of
ditch, carted away 43 loads of tin cans
besides other work of like character.
We several times oiled all the public
catch basins, and a great number of
ponds and pools, besides work on pri-
vate premises
I'VE are now having filed one of
the worst breeding and insanitary
spots in the city. We have arranged
for ten prisoners to pick up and cart
away tin cans throughout the Punch
bowl district We have posted over
one hundred large cloth notices against
depositing containers and rubbish on
vacant lots.
AT the present time the mosquito
campaign is being carried on up to the
| limit of our resourcesa.
at is proposed to make a thorough
survey of the city for mosquito breed
| ing places and d. L. Van Dine, of the
| United States Experiment Station, an