Evening journal., 1921-03-31
SPARKS FLY in
CITY COUNCIL
Fireworks Agent Gives Ex-
hibition of Fourth of
July Sparklers
SAFETY VS.. DOLLARS
FIGURES IN DEBATE

Fourth OF July freworks-pyro-
technical and oratoricai - occupied
the attention 10 City Council. in COM
mittee o. the whole last night, for
a half hour. After hearing the pro-
posed ordinance TO greater safeguard
the lives Of children, debated pro and
con. the subject was unanimously
laid over for another week.
when the measure was called up
by Councilman Alexander r. Abra-
hams, who presided. J. b. Decker,
representing the Victory Sparkler
Company at Elkton, Md, arose and
without any announcement, solemnly
lighted a sparkler. Members OF
Council and several women present.
watched the performance in 81
lence.
Decker dramatically waved the
sparkler about In the air and allowed
the sparks from It to play against
his hands. face and pockethandker-
chief. He repeated this operation
with fresh sparklers several times.
Then he read letters from Charles
+. Bustle. chief chemist of the bu-
reau OF explosives. New York; j. +.
Boothby. assistant secretary OF the
Board Of Fire Underwriters Of AL
legheny county. Pa. These COM
munications declared presence OF
sparklers in reasonable quantities in
general stocks OF merchandise would
cause no increase in fire insurance
rates. He also read a letter from
/ nrN .fs.fu .
ostmaster-general, stating that
sparklers without match heads or
self-igniting tips would be permitted
to go through the mails.
Captain Clarence NJ. Dillon. rep
resenting the Conservation and Fire
Prevention Committee. composed Of
representatives of leading civic or
ganizadons OF the city. presented a
letter from the head Of the metro
politan police OF Washington, ID. c..
declaring sparklers dangerous to
life and property.
Captain Dillon also cited a num-
Der Of instances OF children having
been burned TO death and asked Mr..
Decker II he knew Of any deaths
from sparklers in any city" Mr..
| Decker replied his company had in
vestigatod several cases. but the
burns we're due to matches used in
lighting the sparklers, and not to
the sparklers themselves. Captain
Dillon agreed that the sparks from
the sparklers were not dangerous
but insisted IL was absolutely impos-
sible to prevent fire IL the red-hoi
wire OF the sparkler touched cloth
ing, particularly the light clothing
worn by little girls in July.
In every argument the defense
cf sparklers has been based on sheer
ccmmercialism. or. in other words
the dollar" added Captain Dillon
Eere Mr.. Decker displayed a warn
ing sign on the side OF the sparklei
toxes used by his company. In re-
rly. Captain Dillon declared there
vas no means OF preventing mis-
branding of sparklers by other max
ers to make them appear harm
less"
Councilman Abrahams questioned
n the police OF the city could en-
force a fireworks ban II one shoulC
be made. Captain Dillon held tina
this argument was specious. in tina
there were not enough police IL
Wilmington to enforce laws agains
crime. yet police were necessary 4
keep crime to its lowest point.
AT this juncture. Councilman
Mearns moved the ordinance be lai,
ever for week. His motion wa
adopted by a vigorous chorus o
ayes"