The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-12-18
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
ELEGATES FROM twent.

in New York At this convention l there were brought out some facts and figures which every citizen of the United States should give serious ! attention to, and that means Bridge | port. The figures which had to do with 1 the amount of fire losses in the United States, were furnished by T. Alfred Fleming, supervisor of the conserva- tion department, National Board of Fire Underwriters. and. of course. are trustworthy. He makes the start ling statement that the loss from fire on buildings, together with the main tenance of the fire department and water supply service. amounts to $2,0OO, 900 a day for every day :n the year.
 Something of bill, that. for peo- pie to pay for waste and ceaseless waste, too, in most instances. Think what one days fire cost, if saved, would do for the schools of this city.
 But the money loss. great and ser ious as 1t is. is not the worst feature of it all. Many of these fires include fatalities. Last year there were more than 1000 persons burned to death in the United States. This number is more than a ninth of the present pop ulation of Bridgeport. In addition, there were injured seriously more than 17,0oO persons. Saddest of all, was the fact that of this more than 32,000 persons, either killed or pao- ly injured by fire, number equal to the entire population of a town more than a quarter as large as Bridgeport, S2 per cent were mothers and chill dren under school age, and of the fires which caused these deaths and in juries, 92 per cent were the result of carelessness or neglect.
 Is not that a disgraceful record for iigent nation?
 Nor is that the whole or the charge brought against the good sense and carefulness of the American people. It Is evident that it is pure luck that we do not have more and worse fires than we do, for he claims that more than 90 per cent of the schoolhouses in the United States are veritable fire traps, and he makes the pertinent comment: NO member of a board of education has done his duty until he has given every possible protection to the children entrusted to his care.''
 From one cause alone, sparks light ing on shingle roofs. there has re- suited in the last five years a loss or almost $29,500,000. "The average business man if he has s2o,ooo in money will not be satisfied until he has it safely within the vaults o1 the strongest bank, while the same man will house his wife and famil, in a wooden finder box of a home with shingle roof, awaiting the va grant spark from a passing engln, or burning chimney"
 There is much said and heard late iy about housing and the need fo >'Nmore houses not only in Brsdgeport but in the whole United States. It | estimated that there are today nor than 25,OOo.OOO people in this coun try housed in temporary quarter which are not adequate. If ther could be built tomorrow 5000 co homes it would not properly car for them, yet We are burning dow SS9 homes every day, causing los in money of s2S3.0OO, and most C them, according to Fleming. cause by trivial and preventable causes.
 The average amount spent eac year for building this country durin the last ten years was far in exces of $500, 100000. The average fire los for the same period was conSiderabl more than s200.00O,o0O. In otne words. for the last ten years we hay each year burned up arprox.rlatel one-fourth of tho buildings we ha, built.
 Is it not time that the America people gave more attention to tn matter and developed more carec habits and built with more thougl Of fire protection?
 There is general impression tn fire losses if covered by insurant are not losses. This is a fallacy, IT economic loss to the community
 there just the same. There was
 building there and 1t has been turl ed into ashes. The country Is 0, house poorer. The only difference
 that by means of tho insurance cor pany the loss has been spread 0
 thinly and no one person feels
 much.
 But this is not the only loss fro
 fires. It often happens that as
 result of them production Is ham
 cred, contracts are cancelled, sein
 forces are laid off. thousands of
 borers are thrown out of crplo
 mcnt and ror"i~.1 '- -'cG''sre t,l'
 residence
 connme1Cs .-.-.~.v,. win.
 It is high time that the Americ