Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-28
AIDED BY FLY WAR
Benefits Derived by the In
dustriaI Home School
ARE DESCRIBED IN REPORT
Trustees Say Campaign Has Helped
Children in Many Ways.
INSTITUTION SAVED MONEY
There Have Been Fewer Insects to
Tantalize Horses as Result
of Slaughter.

I nv DeHSItS utIlN GU ITOII1 ne tHtdI
anti-fiy campaigns by the Industrial
| Home School are described in the an
nua report of the board of trustees of
| that institution. transmitted through the
board of charities to the District Com
missioners today.
| Under the leadership of one of their
associates. Layton H. Burdette. both girls
{ and boys of the Industrial Home School
competed in The Stars swat the fly
| contest of last summer, and the five
month campaign of this year. Burdette
won last years first prize. and is a like
| y winner of the grand prize of 500, to
| be awarded at the end of this month.
| According to the report. which was pre-
| pared by Supt Charles ". Skinner and
transmitted by B. T. Janney. as president
of the board of trustees, the fly cam
| paigns not only have stimulated thought
among the children. but they have been
| followed by beneficial results affecting
the financial administration of the insti-
tuition Because there have been fewer
insects to tantalze the horses maintained
at the school the animals have kept In
better condition on the same amount OF
feed and it has cost less 10 shoe them, 1t
is stated.
Told of in Report.
liz dCCOUHl VI lIe t"o SdHi.
paignS is as follows:
1.-The Washington Star offered a prize
of SO to the person who would turn into
the health department the largest num-
Der of dead flieS in the twelve days be-
ginning July "A. 1911.
by those acquainted with the rules of
the contest il agreed that one per
son under sixteen might represent any
number of people. Layton Bdrdette was
chosen by the school and the prize was
easily Won. The amount was small
that it Gid not tempt any of the trans
portation companies to give the school
an excursion. and il was finally decided
to spend the money for fruits, nuts,
candies and cakes for picnic. which
was given on the school grounds Sep
TENDER :? 1911, at the close of the swim
ming contest The festival lasted till
long after the lamps were lighted and
many child voted it the Eappiest day
of his life
with such pleasant memories of the
1911 fly campaign. all Were eager to en-
list when The Star announced another
fy-SWattlnS contest To begin in May,
1872, ard to continue through Scpten-
Der. with hundred dollars for the one
having the best record for the season.
Layton Burdette was reelected captain.
and the organization thus represented
was soon the leading contestant for the
first May prize.
Flies Sought Out.
Every fly was swatted, whether in
doors or out. To find flies. 1t soon be-
came necessary to send squads to mar
kets stores and private houses. where
the children were always welcomed. In
this way the May and June first prizes
were secured. and there is firm deter
mination TO press forward to the final
victory.
THE children will earn the money if
they succeed. and it is thought that the
sum may be large enough to purchase
excursion tickets for all to some point of
interest. They have found pleasure at
their tasks and the hunters instinct has
been developed. They pursue their
enemy with pleasure. Not infrequently
little boys and girls have found swatting
SO interesting that they could hardly be
induced to leave off long enough to eat
their meals. They number their slain and
thus the little people put into practical
use and extend the lessons begun in
school. II any regrets come because they
are obliged to deprive a creature of life
they are encouraged to renew the war
fare and made to believe that in killing
these disease spreaders they may be saw
ing some little boy or girl from a long
illness, or even death
How Horses Benefit.
efforts, meeting squad who had col
lected a larger number of flies than
usual, said: You are doing more for
Washington than Congress is The
horses at the school, because they are no
longer kept in perpetual motion trying to
free themselves from tantalizng in
sects. are more kindly; it costs less
to shoe them during the summer
months, and they keep in better condi-
ton on the same amount of feed, so
that the horses thank the swatters
for their deliverance
The campaign has stimulated thought.
The older boys have invented and manu-
featured devices of every kind for carry
ing on the war. They have learned not
only the names of the many varieties
of flies, but have observed the secret
processes of nature and gained valuable
information. For all these reasons, the
Industrial Home School. whether they
win or lose. can be relied upon to con-
tinue in this warfare until Washington
becomes a hyless city.