Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1911-09-29

th;s Effort to spread the gospel, j. to
st"a!r the cooperation Of the pr.ss Of
the state. No one appreciates more
keenly than T do the unselish loyalty
and devotion of the press to the best
interests of the state; the eagerness
and enthusiasm with which the news
papers seize upon every opportunity
that is offered to promote the common
welfare. We must have the co-opnra-
ton Of the press in this great matter,
and we can have it for the asking-if
we do not task amiss.' By that mean,
that the appeal must be properly franz
ed.
"The average newspaper man has
been 'farmed' to such an extent by
designing people that the soil Of his
goo dnature-like the soil Of our farms
in too many instances-is WORT out.
The newspapers must be convinced Of
the goud faith Of this movement. TIL y
must be made to see that it is not
cheap promotion scheme but that it
is designed to benefit the whole people,
and that these benefits will be express
ed in lower premium rates and in tho
conservation of lives and property.
Then yo1 may be sucs, the newspapers
Will DO !helr part.
Must Have State Officials.
"Then we must hava q fire marshal
Law al, Il s,atn fire marshal. That we
should spent thousands of dollars each
year for the preservation Of fish and
game, and not one cent for the preven-
tion of fire waste and the preservation
of human life is grotesque parody
on real economy. The fire marshal
must not be mere busybody; he must
not be a meddlesome bigot, with a pre-
disposition to investigated and to har-
ass every man who is unfortunate
enough to suffer loss by fire. And on
the other hand, he must not be a triher,
nor temporizer nor coward.
'The fire marshal should be man
of mature judgment, fine discernment
and genuine courage-an officer of the
state without fear and without re-
proach.' Such an officer will be as
quick to go after greedy and un-
scrupulous agent who offers tempta-
tion to arson in the way Of over-insur-
ance, as he is to law the iron hand Of
the law upon that meanest and most
sordid criminal, the incendiary. Such
a law and such an officer as have in
mind are crying needs in this state.
Wants Special Day.
"Along the lines Of publicity and
, Of sentiment promotion I believe the
governor Of North Dakota might, with
Of the chief executive Of Michigan, In
diana, Illinois, Minnesota and other
states in proclaiming special day in
each year and calling for its general
observance as Fire Prevention Day.
In the states that have mentioned,
October 8 was this year proclaimed
Fire Prevention Day. that being the
fortieth anniversary of the great Chi
cago fire. I shall not stop to suggest
the various and appropriate exercises
and ceremonies which might be OBJ
served on Fire Prevention Day. L
speak adyisedly, however, in saying
that Governor Burke is heartily in sym
pathy with this movement and that his
executive action merely waits upon a
reasonably definite indication that the
! time is ripe for such action.
Use the Public Schools.
t "Another plan which has been adopt
ed with great success in certain states
Ohio and Montana among thenl-is
that of introducing in the public schools
text books which treat of the Danger
and Chemistry Of Fire. These text
books are designed for use in the pri-
mary and grammar schools, and en-
brace such subjects as the use and dan
ger Of matches; kerosene lamps; kind
ling fires; the ash heap and the coal
pile; the use of gasoline; common fire
dangers, etc. There are forty lessons,
in all, and their treatment is such that
| they cannot fail to interest and instruct
the children who are given the benefit
/ of such teaching. It would be fine
thing if these text books could be CIV
en- place in the course of study in
the common schools Of this state.
cit was my purpose in these re-
marks merely to offer certain sugges-
tions and to give assurance of the ear
nest desire Of the insurance department.
to further in any way possible the
splendid work of the North Dakota
State Fire Prevention association.