Evening star., 1921-08-11
swat TING" ALONE
HELD INADEQUATE
Writer Cites Methods Used
Against Flies in Panama
and Philippines.
To the Editor Of The Star:

have been much interested to see in
your columns recently two pleas to the
housewives of Washington to continue
in their campaign against the fly. These
pleas-coming as they do, one from the
health department. the other from one
OF our leading acknowledgements con-
1iicting thoughts in my mind.
l remember having as a guest few
years ago a man just returned from his
work as the head of the United States
Islands. He spoke feelingly. rernem-
ber.~of the great quantities of flies in
our beautiful city. Among other things;
he said, Why. in Manila: 20 we s,a, would Mha
this"' I asked him what they did to
prevent it. He repl1t d that the moment
a. fly was seen that fact was imme-
Giately reported to the health depart
ment, and an investigation was made at
once to find out the breeding place of
that fly, and that spot was cleaned up.
Cur people in Manila have cleaned out
the fly. because it is a menace to health.
In Panama our people have cleaned our
the mosquito. for the same reason; but
here in our own city. from which comes
the motive power for doing both of thos',
things. we continue to still have flies
and mosquitoes!
The item published in your pages. not
long since, from the health department
| laid stress upon the fact that the fly is
| much sickness and even death among
infants and children during the months
OF July and August. Then 1t went on to
say that we housewives must "swatthe
fly" in order to prevent 1t. And now
comes word to the same effect from the
agricultural Department. OF course,
know very we'll that the gentlemen ir
both Of those departments know very
well that "swatting' will never .exter.
inmate the fly. They also know that il
past few years, but the increase in auto
mobiles and the subsequent decrease, ir
horses which has caused the diminutior
of the fly
I do not know how often our al.
leys are cleaned. I have never seer
years I have been living there. Il
gets an occasional "lick and prom
ise." have been assured that 1t /.
one of the "cleanest alleys in town
When I first came to washington
I got much excited over the stat'
of our alley and even went so far a.
on several occasions to call up th'
STRENGTHENING department to see i
| something couldn't be done about 1t
but, like our other citizens. I have
through lack of-success. settled bacl
to simply "swatting" the fly. 1t doe
we have one ice delivery per day
drawn by horses, as our wagons are
to say nothing of the other horse
drawn vehicles going up and dow
our Alleys. we women can swat an,
swat and swat and still know tina
we can never hope to do more thar
| to keep our we'll screened house
reasonably free from the fly. afte
it has gotten in and done its damage
Isn't it just as important to saw
the lives Of our own children as 1
is those Of the people of the Philip
pines and Panama?
Then why doesn't our health de
Ipartment get busy and clean up TIL
breeding places of flies in our city
1t wouldn't take long, and I am sur
our citizens would gladly help tn
work along, even to paying an ad
ditional tax. Perhaps the Agriculture
and health departments would con
sent to go without erasers on thei