Catoctin clarion., 1917-10-04

How The Maryland COuncll vi
Defense Is Guarding Against
This Danger.
The Maryland Conservation Asso-
ciation to prevent waste by fire has
been organized with Offices on the 9th
floor of the Maryland Life Building.
No. 10 South Street, Baltimore. This
is the working body of this State OF
the Committee of National Defense
of the National Board of Fire Under
writer's, through whom the services
of thousands of expert inspectors all
over the United States have been Of
fered to the United States Govern
ment. In connection with this sub
ject, President Wilson has this to say:
This is the time for America to cor
rect her objectionable fault OF wasteful-
ness and extravaganza. Let every man
and every woman assume the duty OF
careful, provident use and expenditure
as public duty, as dictate of patriot
ism which no one can now expect ever
to be excused or forgiven for ignoring.
"Preventable fire Is more than pri-
vate misfortune. 1t is public derelic-
ton. At time like this of emergency
and of manifest necessity for the conser-
walton of national resources, it is more
than ever a matter of deep and pressing
consequence that every means should be
taken to prevent this evil.'
The Association pays its own ex-
penses, and its workers give their
services without pay, many OF them
to the exclusion Of their own work
for the time being. 1t has on its
staff for Maryland sixty trained in
spectors and several hundred assist
ants who are grouped according to
the counties Of the State, under the
direction Of district chairmen. Each
chairman of district arranges meet.
ings of the county and municipal Of
ficials, fire department officials. civic
and trades bodies, and explains the
object and manner of carrying on the
work. 1t goes without saying that
everyone is ready and willing to CO.
operate. The great object is, to re-
duce and prevent waste by fire, and
this can only be accomplished by a
united and cooperative effort on the
part of all the people of the State.
In this no one can claim exemp-
ton. 1t is work in which everyone
can help, the housewife, the hum
blest employee by observing rules of
safety, foremen, superintendent,
owners, visitors, customers-in fact
every one can help, and there should
be no slackers.
The Maryland Conservation Asso-
citation through its district chalrmcn
will confer in each section of the
State with county and municipal Of
ficials, fire department chiefs and
police officials, and the interest OF all
of these will be enlisted. They or
their assistants will then inspect all
important food producing, manufac-
turing or storage establishments,
slaughter houses, canneries, cold stor-
age warehouses, flour mills, produce
warehouses, ice plants, box factories,
shoe, clothing, shirt and underwear
factories, fertilizer works. cotton and
other textile mills, coal properties,
can factories, ETC., and point out any
dangers which may exist.
These experts are all qualified with
letters from the Maryland Council of
Defense, and it is under the author
ity of this body that this work is be-
ing carried on in Maryland. 1t is a
part of nation wide effort that is
being carried on in every state of the
Union and the results in each state
are being collected bimonthly and re-
ports made to the Council of National
Defense in Washington. 1t is con-
sidered so important that this work
should accomplish effective results
that appeals have been sent out to
the people makingli plain that it is
their patriotic duty to respond, and
as this is a subject that is not only
near to but affects every one closely,
little Stacking is likely to be met with.
If there is, the strong arm OF the
Government is sure to act, for if it is
found that the efforts of the Mary
land Conservation Association do not
meet with success in securing rem
edy when danger is pointed out, gov
ernment agents are ready to step in
to enforce compliance should this be-
come necessary. 1t would indeed be
useless stubborness for anyone to fail