New Britain Herald Newspaper, October 25, 1927, Page 20

THINGS NOT TO DO * + . conomic rPHOSE “Stop, Look and Listen™ signs which have been pretty well plastered over most of the country's landscape in a campaign to save the hving for democracy at last seem to have sunk in and are registering an’ effect. Tn 1926, for the first time since 1921, the number of accidental deaths in this country showed a decrease from the previous vear, according to the records of the National Safety Council at Chicago. In 1921, the number of accidental fatalities listed by the council was about 74,000. By 1925, the toll had increased to 90,000. But in 1926, the number decreased to 89,000. Ofiourse the 1926 fgure is sil appalliogly Iarge particularly when one considers that neatly all these deaths can be attributed to tarelessness or recklessness. But it does indicate that the safety first campaigns of recent years are at last -getting results. The huge death toll now scems to be checked and the next big task is to bring about an appreciable de- crease. Of the 89,000 accidental fatalities in 1926. 18,200 occuried in the home and thé rest were split up among industries, traffic disasters, * drowning and cther causes. ESTIMATE 4;000,000 INJURED: AUTOMOBILES KILLED 23,000 The automobile_ killed 23,000: Industrial accr- dents claimed the lives of 24,000. A total of 18,200 slipped in the bathtub, fell downstairs or were other- wise fatally injured at home. And some 4,000,000 other folks were injured, but not seriously enough to cause death. g The total economic loss in* wages and time trom such occurrences is fixed by W. H. Cameron. man- aging director of the National Safety Council with headquarters at- Chicago, at close to five billions- of dollars. ’ Cameron is probably the foremost salety expert the country. The League of Nations Supreme Coun- cil summoned him for advice at a meeting not so long ago to talk on ways and means for spreading safety measures throughout the world. Cameron says that you're safer working around dynamite or in a ‘steel plant than you are on the streets today. “In the old days,” he says, ““factory work was con- sidered a- dangerous occupation. But factories and industries generally are reducing their fatalities while the individual is showing less concern for his own wel- fare. Y § : “The answer to all of this is simply that industry long ago began to recognize the dollar and cents value of a human life and took steps to protect it. AUTOMOBILE DEATH TOLL FOR 1927 SHOWS INCREASE “Contrasted with this” development, the dividual when removed from the protecting influence of his employment which compels him to be carctul under penalty of dismissal, tries ‘to beat trains at crossmgs, 1ay-walks and otherwise endangers himself.” During the first. six months of 1927, so the records show, the automobile has killed 9650. This 15 an increase over 1926 when only 9170 twere killed during the same period. The country’s accidental death rate has shown a rather steady increase during the past number of years. The number killed from all causes during 1921 was 74.083, so the records of the association show. In 1922 it advanced to 76,510. Durng 1923 1t jumped to 84,624. Then it went to 85,549 in 1924 It was an even 90,000 in 1925 and during 1926 dropped back a little, reaching 89.000 or a net saving of 1000 lives. ; Drownings also incicased. In June some 690 per- ons lost their lives in the water. And the safety idea in this country for that reason also embraces - struction in the prone pressure method of resuscita tion as well as swimming [essons. Several large cilies* with a population runming n excess of 100.000 went for months last year without a single auto fatality. 4 IFORT WAYNE ESTABLISHES REMARKABLE SAFETY RECORD Fort Wayne, lud., so Cameron reveals, Ied the hst 1 a safety standpoint in this respect. luxcept for days Fort Wayne went six months without killing a single person by an automobile on her streets. This was the most perfect score in the country achieved by any city near the size and reflected the results of a - continuous safety ‘campaign by the city council. so Cameron says 2 ry person owes it to himselt and herselt to be just as careful of his and ler life as industry has become care(ul of the lives dnd safety of its workers,” Cameron advises. *“Safety after all 1s just a habit and 1t 1s a good one to cultivate. In time of need it will pay the biggest dividends of all —perhaps the saving of life self. @"Jou want to live loén(g Loss Due to Accidents Fstimated at *0CLD) Don't let children play with knives or scissots. Be careful when you light the gas. s ust about And this the ultimate in things worth rica has seen’ a great increase in the number ot automobiles on its wavs during the last decade. \s motor car <ales mounted into the millions, the - cvitable result was a sudden increase in automobile fatalities due to careless and reckless driving. e ea eI le el Arstaiden infmotor ar driving has been emphasized to such an extent that the public has gained. the impression that very few tatal accidents occur except on the highways. HOME. ALMOST AS DANGEROUS AS TRAFFIC CONGESTED STREETS I'he Natignal Safety Council points out that the home 15 now only slightly less dangerous than the fac- tory and thé traffic congested streets. Twenty-one per cent of the fatal accidents now occur in the home, This kind of climbing causes many broken limbs. while the automobile is to blame for slightly less than 25 per cent. First in the list ot home injuries arc falls. There are falls from ladders, chairs, stairs, roofs, porches, platforms, boxes, trees and poles; from slipping 1n bathtubs, on icy walks, highly polished surfaces, banana Don’t walk between paked autos. peels and refuse; ffom tripping over turniture and other objects. Accidents resulting in burns and scalds take a sur- prisingly large toll. Asphyxiation from leaking gas pipes or from the exhaust gases of automobiles is an- other frequent cause of fatal accidents. Next comes mistaking poison for medicine. poison in food and blood poisoning from neglected wounds. Other accidents result from carelessness in handling mechanical equipment in the home and from electricity. SOME HINTS THAT WILL MAKE YOUR HOME SAFER Here are a few hints that will make your home safer: Don't leave your stair rug untacked or allow various objects to litter up the stairway. Rickety ladders and unstable chairs are treacherous. Wipe up greasy substances as soon as they drop on the kitchen floor. Keep poisons and in fact all medicines where chil- dren can't reach them. Lock up tools, sharp knives, scissors and guns, 1f you have any. Electric irons left connected have started many fires. Celluloid will ignite from a hot radiator or curling iron. Gasoline gives oft a vapor that 1s highly explosive. Friction of clothing, particularly silk, wool and fur, fre- quently will generate a spark and cause an explosion while cleaning garments. Handle gasoline as you would gunpowder. Food should not be left in cans. tood spoils very rapidly. Don't let small children get needles, thimbles or othes small objects that they can swallow. A small break in the skin is large enough to let in enough germs to cause infection. Most cases of blood poisoning are not from severe injuries, but from ne- glected small cuts, scratches, slivers and pricks—the kind that seem too small to bother with. More than 8000 deaths are caused each year by burns. Most of these accidents occur in the kitchen. Each year, 1000 children are burned to death as the result of playing with matches. Boiling water should be treated like poison or fire. Mothers should keep matches out of the reach of children and turn the handles of hot pots and pans away from the edge of the stove. IF YOU ARE CARELESS, CHILDREN WILL BE LIKEWISE The National Safety Council is of the opinion that In warm weather, Don'tlet your boy hop auto rides. it “safety frst” methods are taught in the home, the number of home accidents will not only be decreased, but the safety idea will be so inculcated in the mind of the child that it will be first nature for him to be careful when he becomes a man. *“Children quickly adopt the methods of their par- ents,”" says Mr. Cameron. “‘They imitate every act. It behooves parents and older children to eliminate their reckless habits, if they would have the younges children acquire safe ones. It is difficult to establish an age line for safety teaching. “The infant’s first world is his mouth and as soon as he can use his hands, everything that his little hands can grasp goes into his mouth. It may be a poi- son, or some substance that will cause choking. A child two years old may not know the meaning of the word ‘match’ or the danger of striking one, but if he sces father light a match by striking it on the table or the window sill, he will try to imitate father and will start a flame the first chance he gets. “Correct habits on the part of adults will set a proper example for the child and will prevent many injuries. 'O PREVENT ACCIDENTS WHILE YOUR CHILD'S AT PLAY But, in addition to seeing that the child is not mjured in his own home, parents also should impress on their children the necessity of being extremely care- ful while at play outdoors. Don't let them go swimming at a beach where there is not a competent life guard. Don't let them go roller skating in the street. Warn them about hopping rides on automobiles and trucks. Many children are killed in this fashion. If possible, have them cross streets only at points where traffic signals are located or where policemen are evailable. Den't let young children go out alone in a rowboat or sailboat. Kecp your boy's dog muzzled at least during the summer. Warn the child against building bonfires. Don't let children play their games in the streets. In the winter, don't let them go coasting except on streets reserved for this purpose. Don't let your child drive your automobile until he is at least 16 years old. CROSSING THE STREET BEHIND A STREET CAR Don't let your children hook their wagons or sleds on to automobiles. The same warning applies if they have a bicycle. Warn the children about trying to cross a street just behind a street car, unable to see traffic coming in the opposite direction. This practice causes in- aumerable accidents. Don't let your boy be a little vandal. Some boys scem to desire to destroy things. They like to throw rocks at lights in the parks, broken glass in the water at bathing beaches and the like. Do everything pos- sible to discourage this spirit, not only in the interest of safety but for your child’s own welfare. Instruct the child as to why he should not tease dogs, horses and other animals. It hardly seems necessary to warn about the danger of weapons in the hands of children and yet each year many fatal accidents are caused by children playing with guns, knives, sharp sticks, hatchets, air rifles, bows and arrows and the like. - Weapons are not play- things and they must be kept from young childien.