The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-10-02
EDUCATE AMERICAN
PEOPLE TO REDUCE.
HEAVY FIRE LOSS
Statistics Show That Fires Cost
More Each Year Than Educa-
ton of Youth.

Fire protection and fire prevention, ex-
cept in narrow, selfish sense of protect
ing ones own property and life from
the ravages Of the fire demon, are sub
jects OF vaster and infinitely more vital
Importance than the ordinary citizen IS
wont to devote to them
Indeed. after. perpsing authentic sta
tistics of fire damage. both. from. the
standpoint of property loss and the loss
of human life, as a result of fires ravag
es, it is a moot question whether or not
the average citizen gives even a modicum
Of thought to the subjects of fire protec-
ton and fire prevention--in many cases,
not even in the selfish sense Of taking
even the most casual care of his own
property and life.
Read the following ponder its portent,
then Judge for yourself whether or not
the foregoing para graph is overdrawn.
Not only do property losses caused by fire
year in and year out, run into hundreds
OF millions of dollars, but carefully and
impartially- prepared statistics reveal the
fact that an average of approximately
Is. coo human lives-more than 80 per cent
of them women and chiidren-are annual
victims Of the god of flame, and that
more than $1,000 persons are seriously,
though not fatally injured-maimed,
many of them for life!
During the calendar year 1921. just
last year the property loss FROM fire in
the United States reached the staggerin g
fetal of S4SS. 900 900. The statistics upon
which the statement is based, are indubi-
table! ..
And if You are even remotely interested
in the problems attendant upon the edu-
cation of the youth of your country, con-
slider the bearing of those statistics upon
. that all absorbing subject.
If you are unwilling to accept the
statement unsubstantiated, then deive
into the records and startling facts will
be revealed to you that the sum of $685.
600 900 represents a sum greater than the
total dollars and cents invested dur ng
the same period-1s21-in the education
of the youth Of the United States of
America!
Appalling,
Aye, verify!
But there is a remedy for the situation,
and that remedy lies in the education
! OF the people of the country in methods
of fire prevention and fire protection
And to bring the matter to head, to
call public attention to the SITUATION
which confronts the entire nation, ma
tion-wide campaign of education has
| ,eer inauEurated to continue from next
Monday October >. through the follow
! ing Monday, October 3, the latter the
anniversary of the great fire which de-
+roved the city of Chicago back in tht
seventies
Discussing the staggering fire loss o
1921. the editor Of the. Chicago Journal Of
Commerce records the following impress
sive observations:
eve all pay for the fires. individual
loss does not fall so heavily on sufferers
as II did before the system of fire IN
s,,rance was established, But that, whh'
q n~otects the immediate victims OF tn
confederation, does not protect society
largo. II simply distributes the loss
among us all. Every fire insurance pre-
Mum paid by the home-owner. the mer
II chant or for any form Of fire protection
ran-Asar+s fire loss, which is a direct anC
heavy tax upon not only all business, ou
upon every person who lnsufes any SUI
NJ property from fire. We SHAH never
the nature OF things, be wholly rlo
fire losses, but the taxes they lmpos
upon us may be enormously reduced one
we are educated to care in the use Q
fire. We protest against excessive gov
eminent taxation. 1t is high tune "
make an effective protest against .heaV'
fire taxation, and there is but one wa
70 do it, and that is through intensN
education in reducing fire losses.