Norwich bulletin., 1916-10-04
MANY KILLED WHILE
 TRESPASSING ON RAILROAD.
New Haven Records Show That Total of 172 Met Death While WaIkine Tracks

Records of the New York, New Ha- ven and Hartford railroad company for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1916, disclose no abatement of the trespassing evil in spite the earnest and extensive efforts of the company to warn the public of the dangers in cldent to the use of the railway right of way as a public highway. Dur ing the past fiscal year, according to the New Haven records, TIP persons were killed while trespassing on New Haven property. This compares with 139 during the fiscal year ending on June 30, 1915. and is an increase over that year of B persons The total number killed and injured last year wa 345. as compared with 27o the pre- V1ous year, an increase of 76 persons.
 During the year in which these ac- cidents occurred the New Haven rail- road waged an active campaign against the H,espassing evil. The company tried in 8 most persistent public the perils of trespassing on. railway property. In this campaign the cooperation of school superin- tendents has been enlisted and chil- dren have been warned to keep away from railroad property. Factories and mercantile houses have assisted by posting signs supplied by the railroad pointing out the danger of trespassing. Efforts have been made to obtain, the active cooperation of towns and mu- inequalities, and particularly of magis- trates and prosecuting officials
 In addition to it's direct education al campaign, the New Haven has given as much publicity to the campaign as possible. In all 180,000 posters have been prepared. These have been posted where they may attract atten- t1on and the company is continuing the distribution of them at regular inter vals. The posters are placed in fac tories. schools, stations, freight houses. cabooses, crossing cabins, sec tion houses, work trains, shops, car in- spection cabins, interlocking towers, telegraph poles and various other places. These posters are also being prepared in foreign languages in or der that they may be read by the large foreign population in southern New England. They are being print ed in Italian. Greek, Polish and Hun garian. The newspapers throughout New England have also aided mate rially in bringing to the attention of the attention of the public the deadly peril of trespassing.
 Despite this campaign and the pub lfcity given to it, 33 more persons were killed last year than in the previous year.
 It is the belief of experts who have made a special study of this problem that there can be no material lessen ing of the evil until stringent laws are passed and strictly enforced. This belief is based somewhat upon the ex- periences of other countries where trespassfng is a serious offence and is punished accordingly. Tn the United States there are 35 states in which there are no laws regarding trespass- ing on railway property. In most of those states that have laws convictions are difficult to obtain and often after conviction has been obtained sen teTce is suspended. Despite the fct that over 5000 persons are needless1y killed each year in this country, it seems difficult to make any headway in the campaign the railways have cried on owing to the indifference of the public and of the lack of law or enforcement of existing laws about trespasSing.