Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-22

Successful in every way were the
safe and sane celebrations of the
Fourth of July in the cities where the
plan was put into effect this year, &C
cording to reports which have just been
received from several mayors by Com
missioner West.
Commissioner West, desiring to deter
mine whether or not the safe and sane
plan of celebrating Independence day in
other cities where it was put into effect
was as successful and as popular as in
the National Capital, wrote to the mayors
of the different cities for information.
Toledo Claims to Be Pioneer.
Mayor Brand Whitlock, a personal
friend of Commissioner West, wrote of
the safe and sane Fourth in Toledo as
follows:
Not only did We have Independence
day celebrated in the sane manner this
year, but we have been celebrating indie
pendence day in the sane manner for SIX
years. Mayor Jones. ! think. was the
father of the sane Fourth idea in Amer
lea. In 1904 he succeeded in having an
ordinance passed by council prohibiting
the use of explosives, the purpose OF
Fourth of July He did not. however.
place his confidence in the use of force
or penalties but strove in every way to
create a public sentiment favorable to a
quiet celebration. The Fourth that year
was quietly observed. One reason. doubt
less, why il was SO we'll observed that
year was that Mayor Jones was taken i'll
and lay dying on that day, and the silence
wa. in some sense tribute to him.
Since then we have not had noisy
Fourth in Toledo. We usually begin sew
eral weeks before the Fourth to call the
peoples attention to the Toledo method
of celebrating the day, and the police are
instructed to stop the preliminary cele-
bration which eliminates in other places
in the hideous noise Of the Fourth.
''Since the year after Mayor Jones
death ] think there has not been even a
slight injury from the use of fireworks in
Toledo nor has there been fire; on one
Of. the FourthS since that time the de-
partment did not make a run. So We
think we have a sane Fourth established
i'm Toledo, and also that we are entitled
TO the credit of being the pioneer in the
reform.
Cleveland Pleased With Experiment
Mayor Tom Johnson of Cleveland is also
enthusiastic in his praise Of the idea.
"Cleveland's experience in celebrating
the Fourth of July without fireworks was.
as / am pleased to learn was the case in
your city, a decided success he says in
The people and the press are unit in
expressions of pleasure and satisfaction
with the new departure in this celebra-
ton"
Fewer Accidents in Chicago.
The records of Fourth of July acct
dents are cited by the acting general SUI
perintendent of police of Chicago as
showing, in the best way, the success of
the safe and sane Fourth In the Windy
city.
Il beg to advise you that in this city
independence day this year was cele-
brated by the citizens in a sane manner"
he has written. II quote below for your
pared with 1908:
Fatal. Non-fatal Total
1908 . 40 A.
1909. .......... IL II
Thus you will see that there has been
a decrease of 100 per cent in the number
of fatalities and 66is per cent in the num-
Der of non-fatal accidents.
ALSO please find Enclosed copy of the
police bulletin containing A letter from
me complimenting the members of the
department for their splendid work on
July A.
This letter to the police officers is as
follows:
ITO all members of the department:
am in receipt of numerous letters from
citizens commenting upon the sane OBJ
servance of the Fourth of July and con-
graduating the department of police upon
the efficient and becoming manner in
which the members of the department
performed their duties on that day. In
the press also can be found numerous
commendatory articles of the same tenor.
Il wish to compliment all members of
the department for their strict attention
to duty on independence day. The cas-
ualties were fewer than ever before In the
history of the city. and no small credit
for that is due to the members Of this de-
partment.'