New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-26
SAY MATCHES KILL
THREE BABIES A DAY
Women Point to Statistics in
Fight on LuCiferS That
Poison.
ONES GRIEF NEAR HOME.
Miss Wald's Loss Has Stirred
Her to Work in Saving
Other Children from
pity Can'y."
Pity, pittyl Can'y!"

OGH6T CHlluI Gil lloh
Pity Can'y."
Pity, pittyl Can'y!
Baby's bright eyes spied the little pink
objects on the table. She left dolly
sprawing by the window and toddfed over
to the "ean'y" which some careless per-
son had left within reach of the short
arms Nurse had left the room for Just
a moment. When she returned the darling
Of the family was In commissions and In
short time she was dead, for the pretty
pink "can'y' had been neutrality-suspicious.
Gus, white PHOSPHORUS matches.
This IS the reason why Miss Lillian ID
Wald, Of the Henry Street Settlement
has been working all summer in support
of the law 20 keep these matches out OF
New York City. The baby who died was
one dear to her, and with that terrible
lesson I'm her heart she has used her In
fluence TO save other little children from
a similar fate.
at IS such common occurrence she
said yesterday. ANY one Is likely 10
leave a child alone in a room where
matches are within reach. Any child VINO
Is SO littlo as not to know better Is likely
TO want TO eat the little pink heads. emil
dren want 10 eat anything. ! don't kho"
Just how much of the PHOSPHORUS poison
Is necessary to kill a child, but nave
heard that two matches are enough. We
never knew how many matches were
sucked By the little child told you or ~
could not have been many.
Afraid Trust" Will Win.
THAT is why I have done what I could
10 secure the passage OF that ordinance.
Yes, [ have heard that the match tru9l
is making efforts 10 have II repealed.
am afraid they will, though, Of course we
are watching them all the time
The social worker spoke Of other cases
Of children being poisoned by matches
which came within the range OF her own
personal experience.
The danger In these white phosphorus
matches IS that. in addition to being pink
and therefore attractive TO the child eye
they have a slightly sweet taste, so that
a young child who Ties one likes ana
reaches for the next 1t IS said that there
IS absolutely no cure for phosphorus
poison. Another element, 1t IS pointed
out, which adds TO the danger is that
these matches are not labelled. No other
poison Is so common, and all other poisons
which are sold into homes are required
by law 10 be marked plainly, II Is eX-
planned
IL il said that there Is considerable
danger even TO grown-ups, who 90 not eat
match heads, In the tiny particles thrown
of By the matches II they are LETT In the
kitchen or 10 closet near any receptive
food. such as butter or cream, these
poisonous particles lodge IN the. food,
Many cases OF ptomaine poisoning have
been traced 10 this cause. The only sure
way to keep matches is in an alright
box. for the volatile particles penetrate
common wooden or paper boxes.
There Is another danger 10 be guarded
agalnst-fre The housewife who keeps
her matches IN n tin box TO secure them
against nibbNng mice also prevents them
from injuring food.
Three Victims Every Day.
According TO Mrs. Eva Mcdonald Valesh,
editor Of "The American Clubwoman,"
who has leen prominent IN the. matoh
fight with Miss Wald, one thousand chill
drcu every year. or three every day, die
from phosphorus poison. The fgures, she
said. were the result OF investigation by
the government Department OF Commerce
and Labor. Her crusade against the
poison match began fifteen years ago,
when she heard OF the work In Europe
along those lines. IL was the horrible
conditions among workers in the fac
tories where these matches We're made
the fact that three-fourths OF the women
and children employed in these factories
suffered from the loathsome disease
known as "phossy jaw'-whlch first, led
10 the Investigations In the course or
which Il was discovered that these
matches were dangerous likewise to chill
dren. a... .
The fact that their manufacture had
been prohibited in Europe for fifteen.
years, Mrs. Valesh said, was significant
I'm view OF the tolerant attitude Of the
American public toward them. The man
ufacturers, she said, were just as able
to make the non-poisonous kind, only they
had not enough OF the new machinery TO
make their whole output Of this kind.
The fight against the new law was simply
a fight against the expense OF new ma
chinery, she declared.
I'VE don't want TO put the match maxi
ers out OF business" she added. 1T costs
no more to make safe matches when once.
L..