Evening star., 1912-11-21

Civic Association the beneficial hcalt b
results obtained.
Special Dispatch to The Star
BALTIMORE, Md, November 21.-Re-
newed effort toward stimulating national
interest in anti-fy campaigns will be
made by the American Civic Association
following the reading of paper before
that body yesterday by r. Arthur L. Muir
ray of Washington showing that the fly
crusade conducted last summer in the
National Capital was marked by a big
reduction in the number of deaths caused
by diarrheal diseases and typhoid fever
The Washington crusade was conducted
under the auspices of The Star, aEJ was
supervised by DR.. Murray, who is an Off
cial of the District of Columbia health de-
partment. The paper presented by DR..
Murray at yesterday afternoons session
of the convention of the American Civic
Association outlined in detail the methods
by which the fly campaign in Washington
was conducted, and was featured Dy
graphic studies showing the beneficial
health results obtained.
Swatting Contests Urged.
In addition to DR.. Murray, DR.. Jean
Dawson of Cleveland Ohio, also spoke on
the fly problem. telling of the results of a
similar campaign conducted in that city.
Richard B. Watrous, secretary of the
convention. read the. report of the asso-
cations fy-fghting committee. This re-
port urged clean-city campaigns and n.y.
swatting contests as practical means of
Kidding municipalities of the disease
spreading insects
|. Both plans were followed in connection
with The Stars war on flies in Washing
ton, being described by DR.. Murray in
his address. More than three hundred
delegates attended the afternoon session
Of the convention. DR.. Murray's address
was follows:
The Washington fly crusade, or. to be
more specific, The Evening Stars fly cru
sade for ii was only through the gem
erosity of this public-spirited newspaper
that the campaign was possible, stands
as most striking example of the infiu-
ence the press can exert for civic better
ment
Cleanup Week Suggested.
When representative of The Evening
Star inquired IL the District health de-
partment would be willing to cooperate
with the paper in an anti-1y crusade
during the summer of 1912 it fell to my
lot to be assigned as supervisor Of the
portance of preventing breeding places
as wei as the destruction of this pest,
/ suggested as preliminary to the cam
paign general cleaning up of the city.
The Evening Star gladly received the
suggestion. and at the instance of this
paper a movement was Immediately in
augurated looking toward cleanup
week.
Resulting from this movement. Wash
ington experienced during the week of
April Is to 10 its first city cleaning week
To go into the details of the cleaning
week would take more time than is war
ranted but as to the results accomplish
ed / am sure l can safely state that dur
ing this period Washington received the
most thorough cleansing it has ever ex-
perienced.'
Dr. Murray then proceeded to give the
details of the contest, the conditions
under which flies We're killed. the prizes
that were given by The Star and the
COMMUNICATIVE interest in "swatting the
fly All these details are familiar to
readers OF the paper.
Totals During Crusade.
For FIVE consecutive months" con-
tinued Dr. Murray, beginning with al
most the first appearance of flies in
Washington in appreciab BILE numbers until
the setting ia OF cold weather. one con-
tinuous war upon flies was prosecuted
AS to the vigor with which the campaign
was carried on, nothing could better
demonstrate the same than the following
monthly totals of insects destroyed: May
sos. 800: June. 3 195.300; July, 1873. 200;
August 7.429, 500: September 4S6S, 300
total of 27.S69.21o OF sixty-eight
bushels.
DR. Murray suggested that an equal
number of the insec.s We're also killed
by others who We're no. contestants for
the prizes. as these figures included only
flies killed by the girls and boys who
sought some Of The Stars prize money
Educational Effect.
"The educational effect of this cam
paign," DIR. Murray added. "in arousiug
the people of this city to the necessity OF
protecting their homes and their food
supplies from flies, as well as the de-
| struction of this pest, can readily be con-
sidered its greatest asset. In the ma
jorty of the homes swatting flies during
/ the past summer became as much of a
| household duty as the preparing of the
meals or the sweeping of the rooms.
| Sticky fly paper. fly poisons and fy traps
were conspicuously numerous during the
| fly season.
I'm recent years much has been written
as to the relation between the house fiy
! Continued on Eleventh Page.)