The Crusade Against the House Fly.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 4, 24 January 1912, Page 57

The Crusade Against the House Fly.

Ou July 241 h, there was instituted x.. Washington, a most interesting ertisade against the common house fly. For several seasons one of the leading daily newspapers of the capital has ‘been print ing in display type the legend SWAT THE FLY, but this summer I his same paper began its campaign in earnest. Realising that it is human nature t<> desire a pecuniary incentive for any public service, several hundred dollars iu prizes were offered, one hundred dollars being the grand prize for the greatest, number of flies killed, and many other prizes of lesser amounts representing first, second, third and fourth prizes, etc. Only children under the age of six teen were permitted to enter the flyswatting contest. Each contestant is furnished with a fly swatter, and paper boxes for the dead flies were distributed. Each day the boxes containing the offer ings of the workers are collected an 1 the flies so exterminated are first count ed at the Health Office, and then cremated. The first five days of the campaign saw the leader in the contest with the proud record of 40,000 flies killed, with a long list of those who had more than 20,000 to their credit. It is interesting to note that the children have, organised themselves into squads an I range over several blocks of territory, killing the flies iu kitchens, grocery stores, stables and refuse heaps. Even out of doors the fly has no peace, but is kept busy dodging this veritable army of determined swatters. Vp to date, by actual count, more than 2,000,000 of these pests have been exterminated, and the service performed in the interest of public health is enormous when coir, pared to the comparatively small out lay of money. The only pity of it i that the campaign had to be financed entirely by private means, and that the municipality of the District of Columbia could not “raise the ante” and make the prizes attractive to grown persona as well. It is not expected that in four weeks of the Evening Star’s con teat, Washington will be reduced to a state of absolute flyleasness. but that there will be a slump in next season’s crop there ia not the slighest shadow of doubt. Considering the propag.i’ing possibilities of the fly, it would sc ni worth while for Other cities to follow Washington's example in thia rcgir.l and get the children started. Think of the enormous slaughter of flies there would lie on the Enl Si de. for i" ' j myriads of kids, excited by the prospect of winning a handful of .l.dlars, could be induced to “swat the fly.”