Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-09-05
HASKIN DISCUSSES THE
PREVENTION OF SUICIDES

sense of perspective is lost and the
value of human life is temporarily
underestimate. In the past years
list of suicides there were several
reported as due to gossiping tongues
A girl died because she became de-
pressed after bobbing her hair; a
man because he was forced to quit
playing golf. A woman killed her
self after missing two trains, and a
man because he was afraid the end
of the world was at hand. A design
er became desperate trying to guess
the spring styles for women. Fear
for another and a girl took poison
for aunother, and a girl took pison
just to get a new thrill.
sickness a Frequent Cause
In general however, causes are not
SO apparently trivial. The following
are the most frequent: Sickness
which arouses fear of suffering,
or of helplessness, or of being a bur-
den to some one; legal difficulties
where INSCRIPTIONS or inexpert legal
counsel has been employed; poverty,
loneliness and remorse.
The Save-a-Life League has been
able to place some people who need
ed medical attention in sanatoriums
for a time, or to arrange for them
to consult doctors. In other cases
it has. directed persons who were
discouraged over the outcome of a
legal trial to capable counsel. Work
has been found for others who need
ed 1t. The league does not guaran-
tee to do any OF these things for the
desperate, and it makes no charge
for its services. 1t is merely there
to do what it can.
Money is rarely given, because
the organization has a slim treasury.
In some cases, a dollar or five dol
lars la be given or lent to a per-
son who can not see his way to
provide for another day. Even
twenty-five cents for a meal may
persuade a person contemplating
suicide to wait until tomorrow to
take the step. Often that is all
DIR. Warren asks.
"You don't want to do a thing like
this hastily" he may say. Think
over what we have been saying.
and come in to see me in the morn
ing"
Among the facts noted is that
any who can be induced to postpone
suicide most often pulls himself out
of his dependency and is then
kldu lie ulO lOl call v ouL III pun
pose. Another fact is that any one
who resolves to die in a specific way
will not often take his life in an
other way If plans go a-wry. For
this reason the league believes that
firearms should be made difficult to
obtain in every state. A pistol Is
not easily bought in New York, but
the person bent on destruction can
easily go into New Jersey and get
| a weapon. Recently a boy bought a
pistol in New Jersey and shot HIM
self without stopping to take the
price tag off the gun. DIR. Warren
points out that il the boy had been
! unable to get the gun in one town
and had tried several places without
success, he would probably have
waited until the next day and by
=, that time he might have regretted
his intention. The pistol Is a par
ticularly serious factor. since forty
per cent of the men who take then
lives use firearms.
With letters and visitors and worl
ing out practical solutions to diff
cult human problems, DR.. Warre1
Is kept busy, though his family ant
other members Of the league ant
some unofficial helpers in other CT
tfes work with him. His organiza
ton is said to be the only one o
it's kind in the country. Its worl
reduces the suicide rate some tel
or twelve per cent so far as the out
come of cases Is known. but tn.
leagues president says that a mucl
greater work could be done II fund
were available. His latest plan i
tn open branches Of the orsaniza
ton tn Boston, ST. Louis and som
California city.