The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1919-10-08
CAMPAIGN
launched STATE
TENNsssEE NOT LAeeARo IN
MkTTER INVOLVING SAFETY
5oF ciTIzENs' PROPERTY.
COOPERATION is REQUIRED
An Appeal For All Citizens To Lend
Their Aid To the State Depart.
ment In Its Efforts.

So tremendous an evil has the fire
enemy become that throughout the
United States it has been necessary
to i~ntelligently and aggressively or
ganize for the protection of life and
property.
In the whole country last year,
which was not more than an average
fire loss year, there was taken by fire
something more than $3.50, 000, 900
worth of property and many lives.
Tennessee suffered proportiOnately.
Her losses were close to $4,000, 900.
This is several times the bonded debt
of the State. 1t is a tax upon every
property owner of the State. 1t was
the carrying away Of property that is
lost forever, because insurance money
is but a draft on the public, a sub
tractor that merely shifts the loss
from one to many.
In practically every State there is a
fire prevention bureau. At the head
thereof is a Commissioner OF Fire
Marshal whose duty and task it is to
protect property by adopting methods
to prevent fires.
The Commissioner for Tennessee Is
Mr.. Walter B. Bell. with headquarters
In Nashville. He has a strong organi-
cation and is devoting his best intelli-
gence and energies to the task set
him.
In order to be successful he must
have the cooperation of the public.
Commissioner Bell is keeping in close
touch with other fire prevention or
CARNATIONS throughout this country
and Canada, and feels that he can Sc
cure valuable results.
He Is putting out literature and 9TH
or propaganda wherever in his opin-
ion 1t will accomplish results.
He Is calling upon the various school
departments, through the principals
and agents, to help get his matter out
to the masses.
Every fire and police department in
the State is now cooperating with
him.
The various civic bodies, manufact-
uring establishments, warehouse own
ers, hotel keepers and the like are be-
ing appealed to, and are responding ia
vorably.
Every railroad organization is inter
ested and has promised aid.
Commercial bodies of every charac-
ter approve his efforts.
But he is anxious to go further. He
wants the individual aid of every cit
izen in the State to help him carry
out the rules for protection of prop |
erty upon which he Is insisting. He
wants the aid Of every householder, |
however isolated he may be, to do his
gart.
He wants him to be on guard On
all occasions, and all hours. In other
words, he Is anxious for the spirit of
fire prevention to take hold in Ten |
nessee, and make itself a power for
safeguarding the lives and property
of citizens.
1t will take zeSt and earnestness.
Tennessee has been losing too many !
dollars annually that she should not |
have lost; that might have been saved
by the exercise of caution.
The losses throughout this country
and Canada run up annually into hun
dreds of millions.
1t Is a trite but very untrue saying
that insurance companies pay most
Of these losses. AS a matter Of fact, !
property owners pay every dollar.
They do not do so directly, but they
do when they pay their fire insurance
premiums.
In the State where fire prevention
Is not practiced the rates are higher
than in States where prevention meth |
DDS have resulted In a minimum of
loss.
When the public comes to a proper
realization of the situation, there will
come the desired cooperation.
When each individual man,
and child comes to know that the 9th
er fellows fire loss Is an individual
loss to every other citizen, greater
care will be taken.
On this page Will be given many
rules and precautions that are more
than worth while.
READ tnem caT0Iully ana nave edcn
member Of your family read and pom
der them. Then visit your neighbor
and talk and instill fire prevention.
Make your family a fire prevention
family, and then your community,
our town or city and your State.
Tennessee is calling upon every cit
izen to take warning and rally against
an unnecessary and easily avoided
but none the less dangerous enemy.
Answer the States call.
DON'T ALL SPEAK At o. ICE.