South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-10-05
ACCIDENTS KILL
MORE THAN WAR;
DRIVE FOR SAFETY
Educate Children in Schools
on Safety As Means of
Cutting Down Total.

CLEVELAND. O.. oct. Casual
ties in America during the world
war as the result Of accidents were
twice as great as those 20 American
soldiers in battle. Albert W. Whit
ney. chairman Of the committee on
education Of the National Safety
Council. pointed out in his paper
read 10 the eighth annual safety con-
gress here on Safety Education in
the Public schools" Deaths by &C
cident in the United States. he said,
total 10000 a year and the number
OF serious accidents not resulting in
death is about 100000 I'm other
words" declared Mr.. Whitney. we
have in our factories and streets the
equivalent in their effect upon our
people OF two European wars going
on all the time"
Much has already been done 10
tighten this horror" he went on.
Most OF the Industrial plants of the
country have done something 10 re
duce their accidents and in the case
OF many the understanding has been
thorough and effective Many plants
have been successful in reducing
their accidents TO a third Of what
they were under the old conditions.
Problem One OF Mind.
THE problem Is at bottom a psy
Geological one. 10 get people 10
think in terms of safety. Safety,
the saving of lives and limbs. is part
OF the conservation movement. and
conservation is a part of efficiency.
Engineers are thinking in terms OF
efficiency, they are beginning TO
think in terms of conservation, and
this must inevitably bring with it
the conservation OF humanity as
well as Of materials and energy"
The public schools. he held. offer
the most fertile ground OF all for
the work and the way has been
shown by DR. +. c. Payne. of the
Harris Teachers college. St. Louis,
who instead OF adding another sub
ject. Safety" 10 the already crowd
ed curriculum. introduced safety
education into the teaching OF all
subjects
Establishing Safe Habits.
During the first four grades the
effort is particularly directed toward
the formation Of habits Of safe con-
duct" Mr.. Whitney explained. over
against the intuitive appreciation Of
danger are developed normal re-
actions. which. with repetition, be-
come established as safe habits In
these early grades the dangers treat
ed must obviously be of the simpler
type. such as crossing the street
playing with matches. and getting on
and off cars The dangers. further
more. are personal.-the action OF
the child in general is directed to-
ward his own safety" Later he il
taught his responsibility for the
safety or his associates and the com
munity.
Arithmetic classes are busted with
the statistics OF accidents; reading
classes use newspaper accounts Of
accidents: drawing classes illustrate
accident situations; geography
classes concern themselves with the
lie SAVING service OH the NOdSls the
FIRE hazard in cities. the forest FIRE
hazard and other hazards that have
a localized interest and nature
classes study the safety motive as IL
appears in the various adapt:ons OF
animals and plants TO their environ
Inent
Name school Traffic squad.
Committees OF pupils cooperate
with the school authorities on school
safety. the school traffic committee
naming school policemen who each
day help get the smaller children
safely across the street while anoth-
er committee is ION the job" 10
prevent accidents OF all kinds at
school picnics Others visit the
shops and even the coroners Office
20 promote safety work
RecapitulatinE. Mr.. Whitney said
that in the ST Louis plan safety is
not taught as bundle OF precepts,
but IL is made 20 occupy an organic
place in that body OF experience
which is used as the medium for
teaching