South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-12-20
STATE FIRE CHIEF
ADDRESSES MEN ON
PREVENTION PLAN
Newman T. Miller Outlines
Program for State Asks
CITY to Join.

Ng - -
sFirs losses in Indiana last year
exceed the total amount paid in state
taxes by sass 900 and these fire pre-
vantion committees such as are be-
tnE organized I'm south Bend should
enable reduction OF at least one
third Of the states annual fire locs
Newman T. Miller. state fire mar
shal. pointed out Monday in an adj
dress az the weekly luncheon of the
Chamber Of Commerce, in discussing
the formation Of a permanent fire
prevention committee in South Bend
ORGANIZATION OF these permanent
Are prevention committees was for
INFLATED by State Fire Marshal Nil
Ter and Prank G. Jordan and In
diana ls the only state in which
there is q statewide program for
preventing fires. Success OF FIRE
prevention work Of the. Indiauapol's
Chamber Of Commerce committee on
FIRE prevention ln q 10-month cam
paign this year resulted In the for
nation OF the statewide FIRE proven
ton committees program.
I'm indianapolis for the first 10
months OF this year efforts OF the
permanent fire prevention committee
resulted IN a reduction of fire losses
BY S511. 900 or "a percent OF that
city's annual fire loss" the state fire
marshal said Now what the Indi-
annapolis committee did the commit
tees IN the other cities OF the state
can DO.
Losses here $500. 600
Fire losses In South Bend last
year reached near the 100000
mark. and a majority Of these fires
were preventable. Upon a basis Of
what was accomplished in Indianap-
ellis during the frst 10 months this
year south Bends committee should
lower the fire loss at least one-third
and this will be a very substantial
saving % the citizens OF this city.
Citizen cooperation with the
South Bend committee is essential
10 attain the best results. such CO.
operation has time after time shown
itself % be a big factor in accom-
plishing big things for a city or a
state. AS an illustration Of what
citizen cooperation will do. the state
FIRE marshal's department in coop
Grafton with public officials in all
parts OF the state has achieved an
unusual record I'm stamping out ar
son
Nine out Of every ten persons
tried for arson IN Indiana during the
past I've years have been convicted.
their conviction carrying peniten-
tiary penalty. This situation has
teen a big factor in stamping out
arson in Indiana. Farm arson, toe,
has been reduced more than g per
cent IN the same period because OF
this hearty cooperation between the
citizens and the departments inter
csted In the work OF prosecution and
reduction OF arson
Need Cooperation.
similar cooperation i'm the rtduC-
ton Of general fires and their at
tending losses VIII bring good re-
suits. 1t Is useless TO go on year
after year wasting large sums be-
cause OF carelessness which results
IN costly fires Eighty-tive percent
OF All fires are due to careIessnes.
and these permanent committees
must impress the citizens with tie
Importance Of prevention of fires.
Indiana is pioneering on a large
scale the permanent committee
method Of reducing fire losses and
stimulating each citizen TO do his
duty in preventing fires and remov-
ing causes Of fires from his prop
erty. other states have attempted
fire prevention campaigns in one OF
two cities with good results. but they
did not formulate a statewide pro-
gram so that the most effective re.
duction of fire losses might be OBJ
tanned
Every person IN South Bend &.
vitality interested IN preventing fires
a fire IN a neighbours home may
mean the loss Of your own property
II the fire spreads. These citizens
committees will emphasize this duu
Of protecting your neiEhbor MS wei