Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-11

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 6.-The cop
w pet is a new and popular institution in
this city. She is not to be confused
with the woman policeman who goes around
in pursuit of the hayward girl. The coppet
is chdrens traffic officer. She gives her
services to make dangerous street crossing safe,
and all the pay she draws is IN smiles from
the children. Washington has 400 coppetS, and
Mrs. Ellis Logan, who is in charge OF the
"force,' says that she can use 800.
The idea came to Washington when New
York mothers were taking their children to
school during the milk strike emergency.
Mothers went 70 all sorts of trouble and made
every effort to see that their children got to
school safely.
Interest was aroused in the hazards to which
children are exposed on The streets, and the
question was raised: Why shouldn't city
organize the women who could give half an
hour a day or just half an hour week to
get the children safely across streets where
no traffic officers are stationed. Mrs. Logan
thought Washington could. The city traffic
department liked the idea and agreed to back
up the corps and to give instructions.
The plan was first tried out at the Wilson Nor
NAL School, where the pupils are children in
the first four grades and in the kindergarten.
These youngsters, practically all under 10 years,
have had dangerous routes to travel. car
line runs on one side of the school and Two
other lines run parallel with this, TWO and
three blocks away.
Mrs. Logan regarded the street car crossing
by this school as a good place to demonstrate
the work of the coppet. She aud three other
volunteers were broken in by the head OF
the city traffic department one morning at $3.50,
and for half an hour they were kept busy
plotting troops of school children between the
four sidewalks of the crossing.
CHILDREN LIKE THE IDEA
The children took with enthusiasm to the
mamma policeman" as they at once nicknamed
the volunteer traffic officers. They also re-
Sponded to the efforts of the women to teach
them how to cross the streets. Dangers of
diagonal crossing and of neglecting to watch
for automobiles were explained so that the
children would be more careful at corners un-
protected by traffic guardians.
From that beginning the project spread to
fifteen school centerS in one week, and it is
being extended almost as rapidly now. Even in
the suburbs, women have volunteered to patrol
the railroad crossings near school buildings.
One notably dangerous suburban crossing not
far from aSchool is now being regularly guard
ed at school time.
The corps of coppets is being organized SyS-
tematically. Each woman who volunteers IS
listed for the time she can give, whether at
$3.50, 1900 or 500 o'clock. Records are kept
to show whether she is to serve every day
or only on one or two of the five school: days.
If il happens that the coppet cannot be at
her post, she is expected to supply SubSti-
tute, remembering that the requirements for a
coppet are willingness to stick to business and
love for children. Mrs. Logan had one ex-
perience with visiting" among group of work
ers who should have been watching traffic,
even though things had Stacked up for few
minutes She explained to them plainly that
during the half hour on duty a coppet must be
alert every instant. Her presence means that
the children depend on her instead of looking
out for themselves, and she must take care of
them. There has been no conversation between
traffic squads on duty since.
NO FUSS OR FEATHERS
The protection of school children on the
street is being developed along the simplest