The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-10-08
Ida Tarbell on
Safety First
Woman Writer Says Womer
Can Solve the Problem


come out Of fashion as much as a
! bicycle. while reeklessness is as
popular as an automobile. Ida VI.
Tarbell of New York told the del
egate TO the National Safety Coun-
! Gil here tonight.
am not here to talk about the
new area of work which women in
the war added to that already
; held Miss Tarbell said. but
rather that it consider the posi-
bil.ty of rallying to the work OF
the council a great body Of wo-
men entirely outside Of industry
itself but responsive to appeals for
public service. and many of them
organized in such way as to TO-
Gus power and influence quickly on
tasks which appeal to their mag
/ nations ana TO their hearts.
The psychological etIecr Of the
present indifference to safety in
our streets and on our highways
cannot be ignored hy industry. The
wanton recklessness Of the road
Gulls the attention and interest Of
the industrial worker. puts a pre-
MUM on taking chance'-care
. becomes as out Of fashion as q BIZ
cycIe--recli!essnesS as popular as
an automobile. That is public
safet.:: is the direct concern OF in
dustrial safety. The latter cannot
accomplish it's ends as lonS as the
mental attitude It needs for its
work is constantly weakened by
wanton indifference to the form
er.
The woman power of the coun-
try must be enlisted I do not
know finer job than to go after
the women. particularly organized
women.
y understand the feeling Of GER
tain women that woman in IN
dustry section is what you may call
a throw-back. that women should
he taken into the safety council not
as women at all but as Industrial
workers. regardless of sex. We
have long way TO so socially. and
industrially in this world before
women Will cease 20 be differen-
tiated from men in all activities.
Mother Nature will have to undo
her work entirely before there will
be no special problems connected
with women wherever you meet
them.
1T is the bsuiness Of this sec
ticn to handle whatever there is
SPECIAL in the problem. whether it
i, tie best method OF getting the
obstinate girl at dangerous ma
chine to wear her cap, or having
persuaded her to wear it. to keep
her bangs tucked III; or whether
it is the big and definite problem
that I anl suggesting. erfistinS The
w:,.llen OF the country. ors:.l,i :r:l
and unorganized in public safety
campaign.
1T is something of job. and ii
it had not been for the eXpe;.en:e
with women's organizations in the
war I should not feel so hopeful
about it. T: at experience convinc-
ed me that the woman power OF
the country can be mobilized for
permanent safety work. il this sec
ton will lead the way.
Suppose that this section was
able to rally in each state to work
for industrial and public safety ali
of the great women's roganized as
sociations. to persuade them TO
take up this work as a permanent
interest, what a power we would
have behind the National Satisfy
council. Properly put to them,
they would rise to it like a ASH to
8 fy. 1t is their kind of thing.
II this council is going into
publie safety work. as I most cor
tainly believe it is it's duty TO do.
passing on to the public rs sp:en-
did experience and achievement. 1t
is going to need the women. And
it ought to be the business OF t!iis
section to help to capture them tor
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