Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-01-01
An Appeal from safety
Firsts Committee

IIrSt S0HlLllttcC
Safety First" as applied to you and
your loved ones in the home.
At one Of the recent meetings Of the
Idaho Division Committee, Safety
First, held at Pocatello, Idaho, the
following report was read to the Com
mittee.
We, yodr Committee. appointed 10
offer a plan Of campaign TO prevent &C
cidents to trespassers. beg to report as
follows.
Having applied the principles Of Safety
First to the mem bers Of 'sour own
family and knowing the gratifying
results obtained, we feel that we can
now go to the public with clean hands
and a strong argument and ask them to
co operate with as In helping to elimin-
ate the awful loss Of life and limb Of
persons not connected with railroading.
We therefore recommend that an
active campaign be commenced and
followed up to save the lives and limbs
of children who use the railroad prop
erty for playground, as a pathway
going to and from school, or who are
sent there by their parents to gather
coal. We think this campaign should
be carried into the schools by persons
appointed to talk with the teachers
and to the children and further we
recommend that the Safety Commits
sioner, and persons appointed to aid
him, be requested TO correspond with
teachers and parents when he is unable
to make personal appeal. when cases
of child trespassers are brought to his
notice.
After close study of hoy life" at
divisions points and cities, we find that
the boys themselves can be interested
in the Safety First work by themselves
and therefore recommend that clubs of
Safety First" be formed at these
points by the persons having the prop
or authority. These clubs are to meet
once month when questions pertain
ing to boys Tipping" or riding ON cars
or otherwise trespassing could be dis
cussed. Also that the boy leader who
interests bis playmates with the Safety
First" idea be decorated with and al
lowed to wear Safety First button.
Being confronted with the appalling
statistics that of the 5.434 trespassers
killed in the United States in one year
only 10 per cent were tramps or hoboes,
10 per cent being young or middle
aged men, heads Of families who lived
near whore they were killed, who were
using railroad property for their con-
venience and generally in spite of
specific warnings not to do so; and 20
per cent were children under fourteen
years of age, three children killed
every day. and realizing that this is &C
much greater than the total killed in
foreign countries where the population
is more dense; we recommend that a
vigorous campaign be taken up with
the governors of the states, the legis-
latures, through the newspapers and by
public meetings to elicit the cooperation
OF these interested in humanity; and
further we recommend that each per-
son take 1t upon himself to influence
the legislators of his respective counties
to insist upon law being passed and
enforced which will help to eliminate
the awful toll Of human life which al
present seems to be a sacrifice to the
Indifference Of the public,
We submit the abvisability of hav-
ing this report published In all Local
newspapers of towns touched by our
system.
Believing that intelligence is the
Road to Safety, we furnish the fore.
going facts to our patrons and feel as.
sured that oil who learn OF this con.
dition will give to US their hearty CO.
operation in this great humanitarian
work.
Respectfully submitted,
L. e. ABBOTT,
Safety First Commissioner.