The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-15
A SANE FOURTH OF JULY
New Ways of Honoring the Day; Much Loss of Life Saved; Spread of Move ment for An Improved Celebration.
By LOUIS IT. PINK
Headworker United Neighborhoot
 Guild, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Headworker United Neighborhood Guild, Brooklyn, N. Y. Exclusive Service The Survey :. Press Bureau.)
 How I wish the Fourth was overr' Who has not heard that ex- clamation? Who has not at times felt it? We submitted to a kind of celebration that became more and more a nuisance and a menace. Peo- pie thought the day with it's attendant noise, fires and accidents was an or dained and perhaps necessary evil to which it was unpatriotic to object. There was also feeling that no other practicable way to celebrate the day existed.
 For years the Chicago Tribune has published the number of deaths and accidents occurring on the Fourth of July. During the six years ending with 1908 there were 1916 killed and 27,92O seriously injured, besides sthe innumerab ble unreported minor acci- dents. Gradually the horror of so many deaths and injuries made peo- ed.
 A few years ago Everett H. Barney of Springfield, Mass, began to give S1 ,000 annually for fireworks. ParadeS, pageants, and historical scenes were arranged. The program for the day was planned to interest the foreign races such as the Greeks and Ital- ians as well as those of longer resi- dence in the country. The day was given a greater significance and mean ing than eyer before and the novel ex- pertinent attracted wide attention.
 The policy of restricting the use of giant fire crackers bombs, and blank ao rfrid dcac Tn states the sale of explosives for the Fourth is now limited. In Cleveland, Ohio, in 1908 ten people were killed. In 1909 with a modified form of cele- brating the day not one death result ed. Throughout the country the fa- talities in 1909 decreased. This year over fifty cities large and small in all parts of the country are planning a quieter celebration.
 Some feel that those urging Inde- pendence Day be celebrated in an inn proved and safer manner are a sen timental set of "mollycoddles'' to use a notorious term. This is far from true. Last year in our neighborhood a barkeeper, who had heard nothing of the work in other cities, made a house to house canvass to raise money. The neighborhood is one of old, small wooden houses that are eye sores and the people Italian and Irish. The bar keeper used the little money collected for a parade and some music. Tim's scheme proved a great success and this year the people intend to have a still better celebration.
 Last year in Brooklyn five were killed and over fifty injured. Eben P. Morfort, the President of the In- dustrial Home for the Blind, lost his eyesight. MT. Morfort wrote a very pathetic and forceful letter to the Brooklyn Eagle. This added to the interest aroused by Tim's unaided eff fort led to the appointment by the Borough President of a committee to. plan a comprehensive celebration of the day throughout Kings County for 1,250.000 people. This shows how very promising development grew from most humble beginnings.
 The movement for a saner Fourth, as it has come to be known, had in Brooklyn spontaneous beginning. This shows that with little effort successful results may be obtained anywhere. For several years in Flat bush. Brooklyn, miles and miles of streets have been decorated each Fourth of July evening with Japanese