Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1915-05-04
THE WAR ON MOSQUITOES.

]
When The Eagle a few days ago
suggested editorially a campaign for
the determination Of the mosquito in
Bryan, II was in earnest, desperately
in earnest. We believed then II
could be done and still believe a
properly conducted campaign would
entirely eliminate the mosquito from
Bryan or reduce his presence TO a
minimum.
We are indeed glad 10 see the
ladies OF the Civic League and the
members OF the Commercial Club
taking hold OF the matter so yigor.
ously and planning such an aggres.
siye, thorough and systematic cam.
paign. They are starting in the right
way and The Eagle offers its columns
for the furtherance Of the campaign
in every way possible. For the edu.
cation OF the people to the importance
OF the movement, for announcements
OF campaign plans, calls for meetings,
methods to be employed in destroying
the pests, etc.
II can be done all right. A lady
made Cleveland. one OF the large
cities OF the United States, a flyless
city, and Bryan can also be made fly
less and mosquitoless. Her campaign
against the fly was so similar to that
needed here against both flies and
mosquitoes, and will be so helpful to
us in the task before us, we quote II
from the Independent as follows:
"In the anti.ny campaign of the last
nine years the stereotyped slogan,
swat the fly has been overworked.
Swatting the fly in practice never got
further than reducing the total num-
Der OF flies by the SMALL number kill
ed The fy-swatting crusades did
serve a purpose, however, and that
was to educate the people as TO It's
danger and secure their cooperation
in applying the only means for the
fly's elimination-the elimination OF
fits breeding places.
"The achievement of making a
large city in the United States the
first 'fyless town was accomplished
through the initiative of DR.. Jean
Dawson, instructor of biology in the
Cleveland Normal Training School
for Girls. In the beginning of the
season she employed the swatthe-ly
tactics Of other years, paying 1Oc per
hundred for all flies killed by Cleve.
lands school children, who were paid
for a half million delivered flies. This
was merely to attract their attention
and arouse their enthusiasm.
Fly Week in Cleveland last year
May IL to Is, marked the opening o!
the sanitary campaign. DR.. Dawson
organized most of the 125,OOO school
children of the city into sanitary
forces. The boys were organized into
the Junior Sanitary Police and the
girls as Sanitary Aides, More than
1000 Boy Scouts co-operated win
these organizations.
in their several school districts
the boys, working in trios, through
the sections or blocks allotted them
inspected every nook and Granny
Wherever unsanitary conditions wer,
found-and they we're pretty genera
in the beginning-a report of the eV
act conditions was entered on print
ed forms which were turned in dali!
90 headquarters, from which notices
TO clean up were sent to each de
linquent.
ION the next inspection tour, mad,
a few days later If It was found tina
the notices had been disregarded, tn,
boys voluntarily turned to and mad,
clean up of the premises on thei
own account placing the hy-breedinl
refuse in piles for removal by the cit.
wagons. That was in the early day
Of the inspection work. The news
papers were given and printed a lis
of the places, giving street address
name of owner or tenant and natur
OF business, where 1y.breeding ma
y terial was found, with detailed de
scription of the unsanitary condition
found. II was not desirable publicity
Merchants and householders alike go
busy with rake and shovel. In onl
isolated instances was a secon
warning needed.
ITO check up the sanitary condi
tons of each district the girls a
Sanitary Aides, working in pairs
went into the stores, markets, restau
rants and other public places anC
counted all the flies they could Sc,