The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28

Do 1t now is an overworked phrase yet was never more applicable than in the campaign to extermnate the pesti- ferrous house fly that has been started by the city health authorities. The ne- cessity of starting carly in the campaign against the death-dealing pest is the fact that to destroy only one fly at this sea- son of the year means the cutting off of millions of decendents. Every fly killed now is a greater gain than hundreds killed in June or thousands killed in August
 Do it now" Swat the fly and screen the home and you will do more to safe guard your loved ones than will locks and bolts to keep out the burglars.
 The physicians of the city stand ready to help in the great campaign of health education; the city commissioners will pass or have passed ordinances relative to screening foodstuffs and to controlling the breeding place of flies; the Civic League in it's efforts to create a city beautiful, is cleaning up the alleys which if uncleanly are prolific breeding ground for the dreaded pest; the health and sanitary departments are using every ef- fort to make a flyless city, and all that Is needed is the active support of all citizens to bring about that much de- sired end.
 The crusade against the fly Is not con- fined to any particular locality. The country has been thoroughly aroused by the publicity given by medical and other authorities of the disease carrying pro pensities of the common house fly and one eminent authority has stated that the fly is "the greatest menace to health in civilization"
 Everywhere movements are being start ed to clean up the cities and organized efforts are being made to get rid of the annoying and dangerous pest
 The directors of the antl-fly crusade of Detroit, Mich, have issued a circular, setting forth by cartoons as we'll as sub ject matter the dangers from delaying the campaign against the fly. Every page, nay, almost every line, urged the com mencement right now of fly extermi- nation and the taking of other precau- tions that tend to lessen the dangers from the pestiferious and death dealing lltlie pest. iHe lOHoNlnS IS QuOteu liOH the circular:
 "The season of the year has arrived when it becomes the patriotic duty of every American to swat the fly and keep on swatting him from cellar to garrett from early morn til dewy eve,'' in any and every possible manner whether by main strength or scientific method.
 We are going to hear a good deal about flies this coming summer. In pre- vious seasons crusades against these per nicious little disease carriers have been prosecuted with more or less vigor, but this year the war is to be waged in a systematic manner. Down south they have already started swatting the fly The health authorities of Georgia, Florida and Louisiana putting up posters de- picting the habits of the house fly and its procllvity for gathering and dissemi- hating disease germs. The principle of the fewer flies, the less sickness is being impressed upon school children as we'll commissioner of Tennessee has offered two gold medals to school pupils for the best essays on the houY fly as menace to health. out in California the women have organized for the good fight. The Texas health officials are issuing bulle- tns warning the public against their subtle foe. The Merchants association of New York has issued rules for dealing with the fly nuisance.
 "A little pamphlet written by w. D. Biggers of Detroit while it contains many