New Britain herald., 1921-09-09
SAFETY FIRST WEEK
 SEPTEMBER 1924
Police, Rotary Club, Churches,
 and Schools Cooperating

| Forty-five thousand United States
 soldiers were killed during the World War, while 92,000 pedestrians and
 motorists were killed in auto acci-
 dents in this country in the year of | 1920, according to a statement made
 by Motor Vehicle Commissioner Rob-
 bins P. Stoeckel, at a recent Rotary
 clut meeting in discussing the coming
 safety first campaign. The campaign for safety first week :n New Britain
 will assume definite shape at a meet ing of joint committee of the Ro- tary club, and Chamber of Commerce,
 which will meet at the Chamber of Commerce rooms this evening at ] 7:3o o'clock.
 Chief of Police William Rawlings
 is chairman of the joint committees
 and is the prime mover in suggesting
 the campaign in this city.
 Contrary to the general impress sion," said an officer of the joint com
 m Gtee recently, this campaign, is not to be directed primarily against motorists. It is a campaign to edu- cate the people to take care of themselves wherever they are"
 People riding on street cars, who get off or on while cars are in mo-
 uion. Careless yicycle riders, etc, were mentioned by this man as some of the instances which would be em phasized during the week. Why, he continued. Nobody knows when bicycle is going to wobble from one side to the other. yet we see boys ride with their arms folded their hands off the handle bars and their feet off the pedals. Only their luck and a kind providence saves them from injury or death"
 Another instance of recklessness which has been brought to atten- tion to one member of the commit tee in an editorial published in a recent edition of the Philadelphia Public Ledger. Al Quaker city man was driving along the street at moderate rate of speed when his cap blew off. Still driving he turned and reached back into the rear of the car for his cap. When the in evitable crash came and his car was wrecked against the side of nearby building. his wife was killed and he was severely injured.
 Freight jumping is a subject which often comes in for considerable dis cussion at safety first week campaigns an6 no doubt will receive its share of attention in this campaign. Just ex- actly what the pictures will contain has not been announced but stereopti- con views will be shown in various portions of the city, in an effort to impress upon the people the folly of taking chances.
 "One of the most dangerous habits some people have,'' said another man this morning. lis that of darting across streets without looking about. This causes many accidents which could be avoided
 In connection with his statement that twice as many people had been killed in motor accidents in 1920 than were U. S. soldiers killed during the war, Commissioner Stoeckel stated that the first six months of 1921 showed 20 per cent increase.
 The various committee members which will meet with Chief Rawlings this evening are as follows: Rotary club committee, George H. Dyson, R. O. Clark, J. R. Andrews, Abram Buol, John 3. Miner. Rev. Henry w. Maier; of the Chamber of Commerce committee. Dr. T. E. Reeks. P. F. King, J. B. Comstock, Rev. J. l.. Sullivan, Stanley H. Holmes. k. E, Weeks and Clarence W. Buckley.
 Special text books dealing with the safety first problem will be used in 1 the public schools in all probability | that week.