Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-09-20
FATAL ACCIDENTS
 DECREASE BY 0Nt
 THIRD fIvE YEARS
This Fact Brot Out at Safe ty Congress Now In Sec
 sion at St. Louis.
By The Associated Press.

St. Louis, Mo-, Sept. 11--Tle total number of fatal accidents ln the United States has been reduced one third in the last five years and the number of less serious mishaps has shown a still greater reduction, w. Il. Eame1ijn, general manager ot the National Safety Council, told dele gates to the seventh annual Safety Congress here today. :,
 "Five years ago the most accurate statistics available showed that 35,Oeo men and women lost their lives every year in this country through indus trial accidents" the speaker said. Hundreds of thousands others sui fered accidents of a more or less ser ious nature and still others suffered minor mishaps. The number of in- dustrial accidents reached the enor- nous total of 2,000,000 every year. Today this total has been reduced ine-third in fatal accidents and prob ably even more in less serious mis- haps: J., ficult to analyze. One group of em- ployers adopted one course, other groups obtained success throcgh diff ferent channels, but the popular means was to rigidly overhaul exist ing equipment and place mechanical safeguards where experience showed them, to be necessary. In industries where this course was followed, the first year showed dropping off of some 25 per cent both in fatal and minor accidents. Where this plan was supplemented by an educational crusade the percentage of decrease in accidents mounted to 50, 60, 75 and 85 per cent.
 Beginning with a handful of en- thusiastic young engineers anxious to place their experience at the ser vice of industry the Safety Council has grown until today nearly four thousand of the largest business in stitutions of America are grouped to- gether in a cooperative, non-profit- taking organization devoted solely to the conservation of the manpower of America"
 MT. Cameron said that in all dis tricts where workmen have been taught the purpose of the Councils campaign, they have themselves be- gun preaching the gospel of Safety in industry.
 "The workmen are heart and soul with the movement. Nor are they alone in recognizing it's importance. A few weeks ago more than two score of college presidents, directors of technical schools and university professors gathered to plan scien- tific course for our educational in- stitutions. That phase of the educat- ional course is we'll under way and soon Safety Engineering will take it's ,place with the older and better known professions.
 eff safety was entirely an engi- neering problem the task of prevent ing accidents would be simple. Me chanical safeguards are excellent things, but no piece of mechanism has ever been made 'foolproof'.
 Safety implies educationa and the acquisition of safe practices and safety thinking by the workman is as important as sound business judg- ment.
 Nearly one-half of all industrial accidents are caused by men stepping on nails, dropping things on their feet, falling from ladders, stumbling, and other similar happenings. When you hear plant representative say his organization has touched 50 per cent improvement in Safety condi- tions, then you know the educational safety factor is working among his men. When 75 per cent is reached his employees are thinking safety.
 And safety, as preheaded by the National Safety Council, approaches very closely to applied Christianity. It is a bridge of sympathy and un- derstanding between employer and employe, which is doing much to in crease our industrial efficiency and to maintain the enormous volume of production necessary flor the adequate support of our Army and Navy.'