The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-09-16

Aof sluuenls ol tue question al over the
country.
After speaking Of further New Jersey
legislation on the subject the giving of
State aid in draining mosquito breeding
marshes near municipalities. Mr.. RAN
kin said the village of South Orange was
the first Systematically to prosecute
mosquito campaign, and he read cir
eular issued by the drainage committee of
the Village Improvement Society giving
in few words what has been done and
informing citizens how to abolish mos
quito-breeding places. He continued -:
In my own city of Newark the problem
is much larger and more complicated in
that We have had TO deal with an area
of some $500 acres of salt marsh These
marshes breed in countless millions the
Nsollicitans, a migratory species, and con-
sequently furnish a large supply not only
to our own city, but to the adjoining
towns. To still further complicate the
situation there are in the vicinity 10000
more acres over which we have no con
troll and hence concerted action by all
the municipalities bordering thereon, not
only in New Jersey, but also in New
York, becomes a necessity if satisfactory
and permanent relief is to be obtained.
Newark has taken the lead through its
Board of Health and by the expenditure
of $4,000, especially appropriated by the
Common Council for this purpose, has
rid IFS entire meadow area of breeding
places with the exception of about forty
acres of particularly low-lying ground
where it will be necessary to construct
tide gates to lower the water level. Even
this tract has been comparatively free
during the season just passed
The method employed was draining the
meadows by means of narrow bitches
about six inches wide and from two to
two and onehalf feet in repth dug at
intervals of from sixty to 100 feet apart.
1t is not to be understood that the entire
area of $500 acres was thus ditched, as
on a large portion of this tract it was
found unnecessary to do anything but
whenever breeding places were found this
method was pursued and with marked
success.
In all some 100000 lineal feet of
ditche were dug Assuming the entire
appropriation to have been used in this
work. the cost would be less than one
and half cents per lineal foot of ditch
Part of the work was done by hand and
part by machine known as the True
Ditcher." Where long bitches are re
quired the machine work is cheaper, but
for short bitches hand work was found
more economical As high as 1000 feet
We're cut in single day with the ma
chine. The bitches cut last season were
found to be in good condition in the
spring, and it has only required the ser
vices of one man during the present sea-
son to cover the entire area and keep
everything in working order.
s'As has been stated above, while the
results of this work have been most
satisfactory, not mosquito having been
bred on the treated area during the pres
ent summer, we require the help of our
neighbors in carrying on the good work
The city of Elizabeth adjoining us on the
south, has spent 81 900 in draining the
salt marshes within its territory, and dur
ing the present summer has taken advan-
tage of the State aid mentioned above
appropriating $1,000 more and receiving
$500 from the State Treasury The APP
preparation by the city of New York for
the Staten Island meadows above men
toned will also materially help us. Hun
dreds of acres of marshland at Kearny
are being filled by means of hydraulic
dredges by private enterprise. Enormous
Increases in land valuation, have follow
ed the draining of about 1000 acres of
lowlands along the Shrewsbury River.
thus proving the economic as we'll as the
sanitary value of the work. Many other
cities and towns throughout the State
have taken up the question either official
ly or through local improvement societies.
Il will not trespass longer on your
time by detailing other work already
completed or now going on in our State.
Enough has been said to show the wide
spread interest that has been awakened
The mosquito is still with US, but enough
has been done to lead US to hope that
the movement will continue until at
least a material relief has from present
conditions is obtained
II cannot better close than with a
quotation from the introduction to DIR.
lHowardse work. If these words We're