The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-19

Declaring that ST per cent of the fire loss of the United States in the past year was due to carelessness and negligence on the part of citi- zens. T. Alfred Fleming, supervisor of the conservation department or the National Board of Fire Under writers of New York city addressed members of the Junior Chamber Of Commerce at a luncheon at the Tut wiler hotel yesterday noon.
 The Junior Chamber is especially interesting itself at this time in fire prevention and Is making an investi- gatlon of the city statutes dealing with inflammable roofs and had as their guests yesterday members of the Birmingham Fire Insurance eN- change and Sidney A. Middleton, chief of the Birmingham fire depart ment. R. A. Porter, president of the Senior Chamber of Commerce and number of the members of the senior organization were present. The pro- rramme included several song selec- tions by A R. Redburn and dancs number by Miss Pierce. T. K. Byrne. chairman of the luncheon committee, presided over the luncheon and pre-
 sented Mir. Fleming as the guest of
 honor and principal speaker of the occasion.
 Women and Children Suffer
 "The United States Is great as na-
 ton in proportion as she has been I able to corral all her commercial in- ] terests in a programme of enlarge
 ment," declared Mir. Fleming. The future of any people Is dependent not only upon their habits of thrift but upon their cooperation in the saving of waste Any organization
 Is strong in proportion to the great ness and combined interests Of its
 citizens. No corporation would oper- ate which realized a constant leak age in it's. assets every day of the
 year. especially if it is found that leakage is borne by every person in
 the organization. By a conservative
 estimate, the United States loses
 more than s1,500,000 day in It's fire losses. But far more important than this financial interest is the loss of over 15. 900 citizens burned to
 death and more than f7ooO seriously | injured by fire-more than TO per
 cent of whom are incapacitated and rendered public charge.
 An analysis of our toll of sacri- l f1CeS 10 the IlT6 BOd SllOho N'aS o-
 ner cent of the victims are mothers or children under school age. They | are the helpless and dependent, and
 vet the makers of our future citizen ship. It is also shown that ST per | cent of the loss of hIc and property
 is due to the common carelessness o' 1 thouchtlessness of our citizens. The comparison also shows that at pres l ent the largest number of casualties are occurring in homes where our nation seems to have its. least pro lection It Is appalling to realize that supposedly good business men will protect their factories with ev. cry modern equipment for safety. ana have every employe trained as to hi. actions in case of fire. who will house
 their families In a tinder-b box of |
 home with a shingle roof awaiting
 but the spark from a passing train
 or a burning chimney to leave them homeless and alone, sorrowing for
 those who paid the toll of their fall
 ure to apply to the home the same principles which have safeguarded their business.
 Loss Is Great
 "The financial loss of over S1,500,- 900 day does not include any of the amount paid for the upkeep of the fire department and water supply io
 care for our losses, nor does it in- cIude the enormous economic loss which comes In the wake of every business or domestic less.
 "The question is so often asked. Who pays this great leakage? :? Learnedly. some apparently wise in- dividuals will advise that of the S1.- 500. 900 a day the insurance com panies pay at least threefourths. and
 the unwlse property owners loss