Norwich bulletin., 1922-09-30
IS TO OBSERVE
 FIRE PREVENTION WEI

NORWICH IS TO OBSERVE
 FIRE PREVENTION WEEK
 Next week is to be observed in Nor wich as Fire Prevention Week.
 Fire Prevention Week-for it will he week this year not, as formerly. a sim gle day-gives promise of being observed on scale never before attained. h. formation reaching the National Board from variety of sources points con- clusively to the breaking of all records. in 1922, both in the number and intens- lty of community campaigns for October 2-9. It IS clear that within the space Of week much more can be accomplish ed than was possible when everything had to be hurriedly concentrated in one short day.
 In 1921, President Harding issued the opening call in the form of a proclama- tion to the people, and the governors of forty-three states followed suit, while mayors in many sections>of the country issued local manifestoes. This year it is confidently expected that the nations response will be virtually unanimous
 Added impetus is certain to result this year from the active enlistment of tbe Chamber of Commerce of the Tinted states, which is calling upon the nearlv | 4O0 local bodies composing it's mem oersnip to lend every possible assistance m Iurtnerlng the program. The United States Department of AgricrItnre tta United States Bureau of Education and the American Red Cross are cooperating | again this year and will aid materia1I1 as they have in the past. IT any proof of the need of observ,,z z flre Prevention Week is required if re. sides in the most recent estimate bv the Actuaf1al Bureau of last years contribu ton to the national ash heap-S4s5. .oon Vou. Only once in the 156 years of this | repuplc has this stupendous figure been eSceeued. and that was in 1906, the year oL the san francisco confagration The present burning rate of ss23 a minute i constitutes one of the heaviest drars m our economic progress. If it Is allowed 10 continue at that appalling pace the | countrySWill as time goes on. find itself | seriously handicapped in competing with the nations of the world.
 1 During Fire Prevention Week. there fore. every conceivable means should he used to acquaint the public with the en- ornnity of this drain and with the fact that it represents, in the truest sense an absolute waste-wealth permanently withdrawn from the country's resources People should be made familiar with the common fire hazards, and the ways and means for removing or guarding against 1 them indelibly impressed upon the minds of everyone
 Careiessness and ignorance go hand in hand as the chief causes of our huge l fire waste. These two malignant foes are difficult to dislodge: only one wea. pon Is at all potent against them: pub. lie education. Fire Prevention Week pro- vides an opportunity to focus public at. l tion upon the. need for this vital teach ing.
 Fire Is essentially community interest since every outbreak affects directly or indirectly every individual member: that l Is truth which has waited long years for popular recognition. Now it is com. mencing to be realized slowly, but with
 surety. This is a point that deserves tc 1 be stressed at all times and never witt deeper earnestness than during the oc.
 casion that is soon to open. | Within the last three or four wear,
 marked growths has been noted in the
 number of different interests that active
 ly engage in the promotion of fire ore
 vention. Fire Prevention Week. tbi,
 year, will in all probability show fur
 ther expansion in this direction. l Chief Howard l.. Stanton of the Nor
 wtch Fire department, has issued the fol
 lowing list of don't" which if observed
 by the public will keep the number O fires down to a minimum:
 Don't use make-shifts instead of nro
 per fuses in your electrical circuits: th
 fuse is the "safety-valve" of the sys : tenn.
 : Don't leave electric fatirons or othe heating devices turned" on while attend
 ing to something else
 Don't look for d gas leak with a, open-fame light; you will be sure to fin
 It. Use an electric hash-light, prefer ably. Don't use gasoline or other volatil
 liquids to remove spots from clothing o l, for other purposes.
 Don't throw your lighted matches o smoking n4terial where they can DOS sibly cause fire.
 Don't smoke in bed perhaps thos
 guilty of this practice are to green t
 burn. but the beds are not. Don't let children play with matche t or bonefres.
 Don't fall to have your defective chin neys and fiues mended.
 Don't forget to have the soot remove 2 from your smoke-pipe; if not cleaned the pipe may overheat and start a fr when you operate the furnace. Don't neglect to protect walls, ceiline 2 and partitions from the overheating ( stoves, furnaces and pipes.
 Il Don't put hot ashes into wooden boxf : or barrels. Don't i'll oil lamps or stoves by oper r flame light.
 Don't let rubbish accumulate.
 Don't fail to keep. a. bucket of watt
 and a bucket of sand in convenie, | place for use in case of fire; they ma T save the lives of your family as the n have those of others.
 If people would only mako these 1 Q points permanent rules of conduct" GO, Q cluded tho chief, collectively. "tho DOW 6 CT of tho fire tyrant would be broken"