The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-11-24
DECEMBER IS DESIGNATED
AS FIRE PREVENTATIVE DAY

Oklahoma City, Nov l7.-Friday, De
cember Is, was officially declared Fire
Preventive day by Governor Lee Cruce
in proclamation issued Thursday and
on that date men in every walk Of life
are urged to make a thorough inspec-
tion of their premises and remove rub
bish of all kinds in order to prevent
fires. Appropriate exercises will be
held in all schools of the state on the
same day, and the Importance of care
in preventing fires will be taught.
The question of designating a day
for teaching the importance of guard
ing against fires was taken up some
time ago with Governor Cruce by State
Insurance Commissioner Perry A. Bal
lard, State Fire Marshal c. G. Ham
monds, State Superintendent of Instruc-
tion r. H. Wilson and Chief Kesler of
the Oklahoma City fire department,
and at that time it was agreed that De
cember 3 should be designated as Fire
Prevention day
The proclamation of the governor,
which contains some startling figures
relative to fire waste, follows
Probably no more important move
ment has been inaugurated among the
American people in recent years than
that which has for its purpose the elm
ination, as far as possible of the ire.
mendous economic waste incident to
fires Statistics show that the total
waste caused by fire and fire preven-
tion in the United States aggregates
the sum of more than four hundred and
fifty millions of dollars. This is a
greater amount tha ntne aggregate an
nual production of gold, silver, copper
and petroleum in the United States. 1t
would require the incessant toll of 900,-
900 men. each earning a net income of
$500 per annum, to replace this need
less waste 1t is costing in the United
States an amount equal to $3.50 per
capita to every man, woman and child !;
compared with this, the per capita cost
in Europe amounts to only 39 cents.
This great loss can only be account.
ed for in two ways-frst, by incendiar.
ism, and second, by carelessness. 1t
is not presumed that our people are
more crimially inclined than the Euro
pean people, therefore, the only rea
sonable deducatiop to be drawn is that
carelessness in the United States is
Irresponsible for practically all of this
constant drain upon the resources OF
our country This loss grows heavier
year by year and out of all proportion
to the increase in the resources and
population of the country.
Between 1900 and 1909 our popula
tion increased 73 per cent; our fire
loss increased 134 per cent. Close stu
dents of the financial conditions con
fronting the American people attribute
the present stringency in commercial
laffairs more to the disastrous conha
grations in San Francisco and Balti
more than any other one cause. NJ
country can remain permanently pros
porous with such tremendous waste
lyear by year entailed upon its people
"The time of reckoning has come
when men should sit down and soberl!
think over this matter and attemp
, some remedy. The remedy is to b.
! found in arousing the people Of th'
; country to sense of their responsible
: lity an dencouraging within them
spirit of carefulness which, in turn
will result in greatly reducing disas
troue fires in this country
"Oklahoma has contributed its ful
= quota to the loss that is being suffere
) by the people of the nation. Let it b
l understood that the effort must not b
l a spasmodic one, but that every da
2 lin the year should find our citizens vis
!, liant in an effort to reduce this loss t
s minimum Other states are movin
o along this line, and Oklahoma, usual
5 in the van in all things that tend t.
I ward progress and more advanced cit
IA zenship, should be no laggard.
l. Therefore, in order to impress upo
d our people the importance of tn
@ movement, |, Lee Cruce, governor {
( the state of Oklahoma, do hereby desi
L nate and proclaim Friday, Decemb'
$ Is, 1911, as Fire Prevention day in ii
II state of Oklahoma, and earnestly r
S quest men in every walk of life, bot
in our cities and in our rural commur
# ties, to observe this day by making
g thorough inspection of their premise
X removing and destroying all trash al
II rubbish of every character that cou
s in anywise be instrumental in produ