Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1914-11-20
A SAFETY
FIRST" SERMON
CALIFORNIA DlVINE'S TALK ON
THE SUBJECT
PAPER READ AT ALLIANCE
REMARKABLE SERMON By BAKER.
FIELD, CALIFORNIA
MINISTER

Minister
An extract from The Bulletin, issued
by the Southern Pacific Co. Bureau of
News. San Francisco, COL, October
18th, 1914, read at Alliance safety meet
ing, October 28th, 1914 A safety first
service, remarkable testimonial to
the activities of the railroads in con-
serving human life and preventing ac-
cident, with particular reference to the
Southern Pacific Company's safety
work. was presented Sunday evening,
September 9th, when the Rev. James
r West, pastor OF the First Baptist
Church Of Bskerfeld, Cal, conducted
"Safety First Service" The ediflce
was packed to capacity and many wor.
shippers were unable to gain admit
tanoe.
Preceding the Rev. Mr.. Vests ser
mon, the Southern Pacific Company's
safety fret pictures we're shown on the
screen. These point out dangerous
practices ard explain how to avoid
them. The congregation took keen
interest in these, and many of the
worshippers we're surprised at the
stereopticon revelation OF what the
company ia doinp TO protect the public.
The Safety First Principle
The Rev. Mr.. Vests sermon, in part,
follows:
"F'rom time back when this "Safety
First" movement was brought to my at.
tention II has interested me greately
and since have to know more about
1t. it interests me more still. At the
bottom it stands fer this principle:
Life is of more value than money or
pr perty, or anything else, and the
tir>t consideration should not be
money, should not be pleasure. should
not be profit, but sat -ty to life and
limb. Now that principle is safe
physical principle, and it is an equally
good and safe moral and spiritual prin-
ciple. This movement for safety, like
Topsy, just "growed" and now it is so
great that it is the slogan of every up
to.dste railroad and steamship com.
pany in the land. 1t is the slogan of
every great city in the land that is
spending time aud dollars for santa
tion to clear the rivers of infe ctious
diseases. It is the slogan of every up
to-date concern where machinery is in
volved and where human life and
safety ts concerned.
Ono Company's Record
Il have been delighted and surprised
to see how much in earnest the rail-
road company and some of these other
concerns are for the ssfety of their en-
ployes, and the safety of the public. In
the promotion OF safety it is interest
ing to me to note that the companies
have suggestions from their employees
and encourage them to make these suR.
gestions along the line ut safety, and
that the Southern Pacific Company in
the year Ut 1913 nxd 1907 just suoh sug
gestions TUNED III. 10 SHOW sou how
it has srown: l., IN. year 1914 there
were 4Ol3 eug Get TAI u, turned in. have
whole boJk vi safety suxgeeiions that
are prihtet and distributed among
railroad empiu.e-. You eau see from
this, expendlr9 AS the southern Pacific
does. for exsmi'., muph hs $500
every dag for tn. prom ,t.un o. eafety,
that they at. lremend ou>ly i'll earnest
about this natttr and the ,sfety Of
their employ q. and safety OF the public.
Now don't sou think ,h.% inssm Lett as
they are dolne this We should give
them our CO operation?
A Crossing sugg. stion
''Now let's see this crossing business.
An observation in 1913 showed that 6e
percent Of the people coming to GROSS.
ings look neither to the right nor left
that 81 per cent looked in only one di-
rsction. and that twenty-seven percent
looked in both directions, and still q
little bit lower figures for horse drawn
vehicles; and only thirty.ave people
out Of 1000 stopped and looked and
listened in order to be certain. When.
ever come up 70 railroad, and ]
hope am prepared to die, slways
try to think of three things. One IL
that the train cannot 60 around me
that they would have to install eide
track for 1t TO get around me But
can get around the train because an
pleased with IN automatic running gea,