Norwich bulletin., 1916-10-07
FIRE PREVENTION EVERY DAY
Chief Stanton Says One Day Year Not Sufficient Pre- Needless Loss By Fames-Carelessness Responsi- ble For 90 Per Cent of Our Fires-How Fire Proven ton Day Movement Started-Where the Responsibility Should Be Placed.

We ought to have Fire Prevention Day every day, said Chief Howard l.. Stanton on Friday when asked wheth- CT he had any suggestions in regard to the observance of Fire Prevention Day on Monday. That the setting aside of one day in the year to be gener- ally regarded as Fire Prevention Day is a, good thing, there can be no con- troversy. It is. however, a good thing only in a way.
 Fire Prevention Day is in its inten- ton good thing, and I subscribe to the intention, but when T see the re- suits of it in the immense piles of rubbish that a general cleaning up produces, I feel a bit sad over it, be- cause to me it is an illustration of how tremendously careless we are by force of habit
 I realize too. that there is a chem istry of life; that all things are pro- duced by action and reaction and I am wondering if the reaction as shown by the trash piles of Fire Prevention Day is not demonstration of the fact that like bad doctors, we are treating symptoms and not causes.
 General CareIessness The Cause.
 What cause is there for Fire Pre- vention Day? Habit and general carelessness, is it not? If then, those things are so, why not go directly to the causes of these results and treat them? Then, too, the reaction caused by Fire Prevention Day means a slump back at once into the very con- ditions that produced Fire Proven tion Day.
 Now, my idea is to go straight to the causes ard treat the disease and not the symptoms. Ninety per cent. of our fires are the result of carelessness somewhere, somehow, on the part of somebody and that this is fact is the result of lack of proper self respect and therefore proper respect for oth- CTS and for their rights on the part primarily of the best men of the com munity and in less degree of every citizen of every community.
 l hold that it is the duty as well as the privilege of manhood, to prop erly oversee and direct every detail of his household affairs and, if this is done, every detail of his business af- fairs will be properly supervised and directed also. To each individual we have got to go for the curing of this disease of individual carelessness and disregard.
 According to letter received by Chief Stanton from Franklin H. Went worth, secretary of the National Fire States and Canada, this association, the Mutual Safety Council is pro- noting the observance of Fire Pre- vention Day this year throughout North America. special cOmmun1ca- tions have been addressed to the lead ing commercial or civic organizations in all cities of 10000 population or over. President Wilson and the gov ernors of the various states have been asked to issue proclamations.
 The Origin of the Day.
 It will no doubt be of interest to many Norwich people to learn the origin of Fire Prevention Day-The story goes as follows: ors, -. e.l - On October.9. 1871, one Mrs. O'Leary COW on her little farm Just on the out skirts of the city of Chicago. It was far from light and she carried a lan- tern, which she placed on the stable floor and then sat down 10 do her milking.
 Now what particular devil possess ed that COW does not appear. At any