Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-12-18
LETTER TO EDITOR
Annapolis. Md,

Dec. IL. 1918.
/ TO the Editor Of the ECenihg Capital:
Only few years have passed away
since progress and enterprise came TO
the ancient city OF Ann, that on the
banks of the Severn lies. and laid on
/ her streets long lines of steel that
made circuit about her town, but old
fogy's hands IL unrestrained would
have torn up what they laid down.
This has reference to the objections
made TO the laying of the W. B. & A.
tracks on Main street, when it was
first proposed that this be done. Rev.
Mr.. Smiley, in a recent address to a
coiored congregation, told them. that
people who don't like progress are
called ultra conservatives" There are
others in your town who can be class
ed as such besides the Main street OBJ
jectors referred TO above; others who
are opposed TO the introduction into II
OF anything that their grandfathers
found IL possible TO live without, and
who are dead set against being ousted
from the rut OF living to which GUS
tom has Injured them. Indeed, so
welded are they to their backwoods
way OF living that ii has become nee
essary for each succeeding grand jury
to remind them that they should catch
step and keep pace with the march OF
progress and so be in line with the
progressive spirit of the age. The
latest reminder from this investigating
body was contained in a report re-
Gently made by your paper OF the
grand jury's recommendations. The
particular recommendation referred TO
can be inferred from this:
Must childrens charred flesh and
fire-blackened bones-Horrible to con-
template, but not unlikely at all
furnish the lesson that must be taught
before some will learn that they ought
to provide fire escapes for the exterior
of each school buildings wall
The fact that perfect death traps
and schools without fire escapes
are allowed to exist in a community
that so feared the FLU" that it closed
its churches to prevent its spread, but
is Indifferent to the assembling of
great crowds in places where they are
in danger of meeting horrible death,
shows that there are those among us
who, while straining at gnats, exper-
fence no difficulty in swallowing cam
.els.
At the door OF many penny-wise
officials whose unwise economy with
held the dollars that would have
bridged over chasm of death path
way over which little scholars feet
might tread their way to safety. When
wisps of smoke were waited to their
nostrils and tongues of flame were
licking their way to envelop with mer-
CHESS torture the trapped school chill
/ dren for whom there was no escape,
can be laid the responsibility for many
cremated children in different Sec
tions of our land today. AN ounce OF
/ prevention is worth a pound of cure
1t would be wise to contribute that
ounce, you whose neglect and delay
in this matter is endangering human
life. before the horror that has
! ScOuTReu Ot0eT COMMUNITIES Will WIZ
has laid its weight of grief on your
own.
AS the writer has two children at
tending the public school he considers
this oct furnishes sufficient excuse
for butting in on matter that some
might think should be left to those
whose advice or criterion would COM
mand more attention and receive more
consideration than his own. All par
ents who have children attending the
public schools should demand that the
measure of protection should be melted
to them that would be supplied by the
/ iron life savers-the life preserving
fire escape Those who are to blame
for the iron ladders not being attach
ed to the school buildings should re-
member that what has happened else
where can also happen here, apd that
when it does happen here. that regret
for their folly that money-not lives
did save, will not restore to these par
ents their lost happiness that will lie
buried in little ones grave.
JAMES j. FARRELL,
Eastport, Md.