Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-09

Washington. Feb. e--The coppct IN |
n new and popular institution in this
city. She Ia not TO BE- confused with
the woman policeman who goes
around In pursuit ~ the wayward
girl. The coppet Is "a children's tranic
officer. She gives her services TO mike
ds nserous street crossings safe, and
all the pay she draws is In smiles from
the children. Washington has 100 cop
pets, and Mrs. Ellis Logan, who Is in
charge Of tho force" says TINT she
can use 500.
The idea came 20 Washington when
New York mothers We're taking their
children TO school during the milk
strike emergency. Mothers went 10
all sorts OF trouble and made every
effort to see that their children got 20
school safely.
| Interest was aroused in the hazards
TO which children are exposed on tho
streets, and the question was raised:
Why shouldn't a city organize the
women who could give half an hour
n day or just half an hour week 70
get the children safely across streets
fwherc no tranic officers ore stationed
! Mrs. Logan thought Washington
could. The city traffic department
liked the idea and agreed 20 back NJ
the corps and 70 give Instructions.
The plan was first tried out at ths
Wilson Normal School. where the pu'
pills are children in tho first fou'
grades and in the kindergarten. These
youngsters, practically all under i
, years, have had dangerous routes Z
. travel. A car line runs on one sid
of the school and two other lines rlii
parallel with this, two and three block
away.
ii Mrs. Logan regarded the street ca
crossing by this school as o good piac
, to demonstrate the work of the cop
= pet She and three other volunteer
r were broken in by the head Of IN
4 city traffic department one nornin
at $50, and for half an hour the
were kept busy plotting troops {
school children between the four side
. walks OF the crossing.
q Children Like the idea.
The children took with enthusiast
d & the mamma policeman" as the
at once nicknamed the volunte,
a traffic officers. They also responde
q to the efforts of the women 70 teac
h them how 20 cross the street
> Dangers Of diagonal crossing and
- neglccting TO watch for automobil'
r. were explained so that the childrt
would be more careful at corners vi
% protected by traffic guardians.
- lrt koe
spread 70 is school centers in OF
:, week. and it is being extended almo
- as rapidly now Even in the suburb
!. women have volunteered TO patr
~ the railroad crossings near. schc
buildings. One notably dangero
suburban crossing not far from
'e school is now being regularly guard
- at school time.
The corps OF coppets is being orga
S lied systematically. Each woman W
o. volunteers is listed for the Time 3
can give, whether at eigilt-tfirt
3 twelve or three O'Clock. Records a
"a kept to show whether she is 70 ser
D' every day or only on one or two
= the five school days.
- II it happens that the coppet ca
- not be at her post, she is expected
supply a substitute. rememberi
- that the requirements for a coppet Z
willingness 10 stick to business anc
- love FOR children. Mrs. Logan h
. one experience with visiting amo
- a group CT workers who should hs
been watching traffic. even thou
~ things had Stacked up for a I
-. minutes. She explained 10 them pla
s ly that during the half hour on d
,., a coppet must be alert every insts
Her presence means that the child
depend on her instead Of looking
for themselves. and she must Z
care of them. There has been
conversation between traffic SOU
IN on duty since.
No Fuss or Feathers.
itly The protection OF school children
he