El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-12-27
STARTS
ON USELESS
NOISE NOW
All Unnecessary and Nerve
Warning Sounds to Be
Stopped, Maybe.
WOMAN STARTS UP
THE NEW CAMPAIGN
GV + ASHINGTON, D. c., Dec 27.-Is
wv vnur morning slnrnhar Disturbed


vehicles and noisy drivers make a con-
tinuaI bedlam in front of your place
of business each day, or are your work
ing hours interrupted by the hawking
cries of hucksters or other street ven
! ders? If you suffer from these OF
| any other noise nuisances you may pos
sibly help to overcome them by joining
( one of the anti-noise crusades which
are now being so rapidly organized in
! every part of the country. Perhaps
you may even help to start one as a
! part OF your duty as a good citizen.
Woman Starts Reform.
That is what Mrs. Isaac L. Rice of
/ New York thought when she entered
/ upon the work in New York City which
/ is now being copied everywhere. Sew
! eral years ago, Mrs Rice had occasion
! to visit frequently at a city hospital
/ She noticed how the patients suffered
/ from the clang of street cars, the
hOnking of automobiles, the clatter of
! vehicles and every other street noise
which came In the open windows. She
decided that most Of these noises were
unnecessary, and began a campaign for
the establishment of quiet zones around
city hospitals An ordinance was passed
which placed restrictions upon traffic
in a circle or zone surrounding every
hospital in New York. A speed limit
was placed upon all vehicles entering
prohibited. Sufficient traffic police
men were provided to enforce the re-
strictions.
The testimony of physicians and
hospital officials, no less than the eX-
press1ons Of the grateful patients, were
widely circulated. Chicago, Baltimore
and several other cities have passed
similar ordinances and in others the
reform is under consideration. In
Washington an amendment to the 20
lice regulations IS now being considered
which will provide this quiet zone. It
requires that the territory shall ex.
tend distance of $50 feet on all sides
from any hospital or institution for
the care of the sick. The limits of
the zones are to be designated by signs
on lamp posts or by other conspicuous
notices Any person convicted of max
ing an unnecessary noise within the
boundaries of hospital zone viii be
fined In the future. the possibilities
of quiet will be considered in selecting
hospital locations Where such an in
stitutiOn must be centrally located a
quiet approach will be planned. Where
this has not been done, some noise
restrictive measures are essential since
all physicians are denouncing the harm
full effect of continued noise upon a
weakened physical condition.
No Protection From Noise
AS things now are, the average per
son has less protection from the nerve
shock and general annoyance of un-
necessary noise than from any other
nuisance If a sight is unpleasant he .
may close his eyes or turn his head I
An unpleasant Odor usually indicates
an unsanitary condition which will be /
cared for by the board of health But I
the nerve splitting whistle the bump 5
ing OF badly adjusted cars the clane- /
OF alarm signals, and hundreds of other /
unpleasant sounds assaiI the ears con- !
Stantly, and have been submitted to
as inevitable. The torture of some OF J
these noises to nervous people cannot 1
estimated nd
sound.
Scientists claim that the effect of
IlVlng IN the midst of constant noise /
tends either to an excited nervous sys-
tenn or a deadened sensibility accord
ing 10 the temperament Of the in
dlVlduaL F1lson Young, the English /
writer, believes that the reason the
french are so excitable as race is
because they are fond of noise and
surround themselves with it. No other
nation, in his belief has been CAPABLE
OF lnVentlng such perfectly fiendish"
sereeching, ear piercing devices to use
as automobile alarms Even in a
pastoral French village, noises of many l
KINDS are apt to aSsaiI the ears of the
visitor at all hours of the night Mr.
Y Dung claims that a really quiet night
IS unknown TO the majority of the
French people. They sleep through
the noise and are unconscious OF f.
put Its effect upon them can be readily /
traced.
Germany Regulates 1t.
In Germany, the waste caused to the
human nervous system by unnecessary
noise has been better recognized. In
Ilost German towns regulations exist
which prohibit noises of all kinds dur
ing certain hours of the night These
are not always enforced. nor do tbev |
insure the quiet intended. Yet most
aveIers bear testimony to the restful
luIel OF the German town and Mr.
Dung can, no doubt, trace to this the
SOBER calm Of the national German
character
The interest aroused by the creation
II quiet hospital zones in New York
encouraged Mrs. Rice to extend her
.IIorts further. In 1906 she organized
Lhe Society For the Suppression of
~ M n Gessary Noise Its members in
luce persons Of every walk Of life.
'ut II has the cooperation and support
u the Ieadlng lawmakers and physf- /
lanS OF the country. The members are I
,IeQseo 70 consider always the elm
natlon OF noises wherever found Mrs 7
flce herself is in the habit of taking
N early morning walk each dav. This (
lot only gives her exercise but gives
eI an opportunity to study the noises
ocular to the early morning with a
lew TO lessening them.
II IS surprising how many noises
nee considered absolutely necessary
ave oeen found to be needless assaults
Don the public peace. The whistles
I the steam boats that run in the
asst and North rivers in New York
ave made a perfect bedlam Of the
'aters edge An ordinance has been (
assed which has reduced these whistles
ally so per cent without in any wav '
iterIerlng with or lessening their traf-
c efficiency. Other means of sig
aIlng have been found effective and
ne restriction of the sharp whistles \
as become boon to the patients in
NUMBER of hospitals and sanitariums ;
'cated along the banks of the rivers. ;
Force Whistles to Cease.
The suppression of the noise of brcl
-ers and street criers would seem an
4sier matter than quieting the factory
hlstles, yet in many towns street
aWklng is still permitted. In
)uthern town a few months ago. sew 3
'ai ministers gathered one morning to :
scuss some mans for cooperation in r
lelr work The weather was warm. +
~ the nucksters were plying their
ace win vigorous lungs outside. so Y
laE the windows had to be closed to
laoIe the ministers to hear each other.
ne or them counted no less than 253 c
les and wells upOn the street during "
lelr session of less than two hours. I
ne following SUNDAY. each minister \
an ant noise crusade from | T
is nUln't. In cities where street cry t
r is forbidden, the hucksters do not /!
lfter from loss of trade because thew e
N LII