MORIARTY OF THE INSECT WORLD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3355, 3 January 1927, Page 7

MORIARTY OF THE INSECT WORLD.

A slim man oi iz years, wuu twain nng eyes anu a cioaeiy-cropped gray uCaiu, oils an uuy in a wny panor u-c----aiiiu aonuon S siaungeot anOp, su.uateu at uie IUOL ol jjiueuunil's image, puui lung ueai.li to tne peats oi tne paiury, uiie uay inteiy two men oi ms sum icit uuuuon ior rrangnong, witn enougu poison to kin twenty million ruts anu mseets. inf man is Air uertrain Phillips, tne x i'oieasor Monarty or tne rut ana insect uiiuei wuiiu. xie lias ueen waging war against coenruaenes, crickets, ants, rats, and otrier pests lor more tuaii nan a century —inatennig m» iinuoie uram against tne wits oi tne AJimgs tnat onuv'i, ior wnoee nuenigeueo ne nas a proiouiia admiration. ne is prana ol tne trail or ueatn anu destruction ne anu ms men in straw nuts —an tne Hied x'lpers oi . xviuOkiriars road wear straw nats i—icave oemnu. xie claims to nave aumnnateu ou inuiion pests last year in tins country alone. xie openus hours in his Museum oi nomine unngs-—niueous stuaea quaurupeus anu insects, winch inane guts snuuuer anu men wince as tney pass •• xe entie macniryars oiioppe.'' me om nea riper oiten senas his men to tne most instant parts oi tne world, resides ms men on one way to ixongkoug ne has another m incha slay mg pests xor a mararajaii. Alexico caneu nim m recently, “iney nave a nttie iroutrle out mere with mosquitos—nasty, spiteiui, sprterul little icilows," said tne ola man, with an ingenuous enucKie. “Cockroaches are causing trouble witn tne Spaniards," he went on, ■twinkling his mirtmui eyes, “so 1 uaa to rusn some or my troops to Spain, tney are doing wen. “Xt s a goou cause I’m lighting, i love it. id slay every rouent arm mosquito and cockroach m tne worm to-mgnt it 1 hud tne chance, Wnat a trail oi destruction and disease tney leave behind 1 Look at tne damage they do in this country every yearone Hundred million pounds is my estimate !” Lor years the old Pied Piper oi Blackfriars fought alone his wattles against pests in every part of tne world. JNow he is content to sit among his test tubes and plan ms daily campaign ot slaughter m the pest world. mats are great travellers. One that was set at huerty at King's Cross, with a metal disc on its leg, was trapped at Luton—34 miles from London. "When you are dealing with rats you are dealing with brains.” said the old Pied Hiper, with obvious respect tor the intelligence of his most hated prey. “Unco t went out on a job in South London where an army of them had invaded a cellar. There was a thick concrete wall. They didn’t take the trouole to gnaw through that. r\o, they excavated until they found a weak point in the masonry, and they nibbled their way through there!”