Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1911-09-01
texas and nation
MAKING war ON FLY

contest in the National capital
and ten barrels of them put to
death by children struggling for
a prize in Worcester, Mass, the
slogan of Swat the fly" is no
longer to be taken as a mere
pleasantly.
These are only isolated cases.
The whole Nation is engaged in
a mighty effort to rid the coun
try Of what was only a few years
ago considered an annoying but
harmless pest. Nor is America
alone in, the determination to de-
stroy the insect. Canada is
moving as vigorouly against the
common enemy, and in England
a general movement to render
the enemy extinct is well under
way.
All this intense activity di-
rected toward the destruction
Of the musa domestica is due to
the discovery that the tiy-the
common house fly, once treated
almost as pets one Of the
most deadly of all menaces to
the human race. 1t is the great
est passenger carrying biplane
known to man. With its wings
buzzinK like runaway electric
fan, it can and does carry on its
long and hairy legs millions of
germs Of wasting and fatal dis
ease, including, according to a
list issued by the United States
Department of Agriculture, ty-
phoid, Asiatic cholera, tubercu-
losis and small pox, and to this
list some of the leading physi-
clans are adding infantile paraly-
sis.
The logic of the theory that
the accusers Of the fly are urg-
ing upon the public is irresisti-
BILE. They point out that the fly
is the most democratic of in
sects. 1t is no respecter OF per
sons, things or places. Born
and bred in the foulest and most
loathsome OF places, it is ready
as soon as its tiny wings will
bear its tiny weight, to hasten to
the home or hotel or eating place
of the fairest and noblest and
there leave it's messenger of dis
ease and death. There can be
no compromise with the insect.
If admitted, no matter how
slightly, it unloads its pestilen-
tial burden. 1t takes buta touch
less than moment, for it to
leave the summons of the tomb.
Today the attitude of the whole
world is well represented by the
State Board of Health Of Florida,
which, under the direction Of DR..
Joseph Y. Porter, Secretary and
Health Officer, has printed in red
ink on a muslin poster twelve
inches wide and eighteen inches
long, a warning to all and sun
dry that flies are disease carriers
deadly danger to young and
old, the sick and well, and fol
lows this with instructions as to
the best methods of preventing
their ravages. Sketches in
black around the red warning
show how the flies gather the
germs and distribute them.
The American Civic League
Association has issued 100000
copies Of a pamphlet, entitled
Kill Flies and Save Lives. "
Another method is the publica-
ton and issuance of postcards,
the kind which give out their
message only when rubbed with
coin or pencil. On one called
THE Writing on the Wall. " a
dainty paper design changes to
a hyspecked wall with the word
Contagious, Another with
the legend, Reasons why you
should kill every fly" illustrates
the hy's progress from the dust
bin to the sick room. A third,
named The Murderous Fly"
bears the picture of baby in
the clutches of an insect as large
as itself. The warning on this
card reads; "A fly in the milk
may mean a baby in the grave. "
Yet, after all, il is the general
conclusion that the fly is more
the sign of menacing conditions
than a menace in itself. DR..
G.. Gordon Hewitt, Dominion
Entomologist, declares house
flies indicate the presence of re-
fuse garbage and other unsani-
tary conditions. The house fly
is useful. therefore, because il is
OF the greatest use as danger
signal, as a red flag
John Il. Smith, the New Jer-
sey entomologist, says the swat
the fly campaign should be di-
rected not so mcuh against the
fly as against the conditions
that require the fly as natural
scayenger.
Merchants Praise
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