Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-10-02
Ins. Com'r Spencer
Tells Need Of Fire
Prevention Week

lion. Nllbur -. spencer, STATE lnSur-
encc commissioner in a communica-
ton issued Monday. calls attention to
The fact that Fire Prevention week.
beginning Oct. :, has been designated
FIR universal observance throughout
tha United States.
Tho communication further says:
Governor Baxter. with his character
iStic Solicitudc for the Walfare of
Maine and his accurate appraisal of
tho importance of alI matters that con-
corn the State, in special communiCa-
ton to the Insurance Department said:
II urge all good citizens to CO.
operate in tho efforts that are being
made to impress upon our people the
need Of fire prevention.
In our country Il. 600 livcs annually
are lost by fire and sac, 600, 600 worth
of property is destroyed. Inasmuch as
most fires arc prcvcntable, this awful
toll is wholly ineXcusablc.
IF every Individual would make
himself or herself committee of one
t" do everything possible to guard
against fires, tho loss thcrcfrom would
soon be reduced to a minimum.
Il hope Fire Prevention week will bc
appropriately observed in Maine. Let
the good work begin at home and eX
tend into every nook and corner of the
state"
IN this direct and convincing Ian
GUl%o the Chicf Executive has APP
pcalcd to tho public for a more init
mate nSiGoIation of its own inter-
C5tE.
suc2ess Dependent Upon Individual
Action
II is REASONABLE" to assume that. like
the Governor Of Maine. every patriotic
citizen. if he can only I've made to real
ize it's profound significance. will in
tercst himself in the success of this
concerted movement to preserve life
and property.
Is your time worth moro to Won than
1t is to he world"
You may work hard and only be able
to keep your family alive.
But if YOU donate five minutes Of
Your time each day to the subject of
fire prevention YOU can assist 500. 000,-
COO of people in their struggle with adj
Ncrsity.
While the sublime wonder is that
The human race docs not Succumb in
despair in its craSclcsS effort for prog
ross, the dark cpoChS in the histories of
Baltimore, Boston. Chicago and San
francisco prove otherwise.
The same intuitive farce that i'm
pclS the unfortunate ant to reconstruct
its humble galleries of sand incites
mankind to replace it's lost environ
mcnt.
Immensity of Subject Incorpre hensibIe
When a President of the United
States dies in the Nations service the
industrial activity of the whole coun-
try is suspended for five minutes as
tribute of respect.
Tho universal observance of this
custom rcpreScnts--in the uncmploy-
mont of 200 persons for a ycar-an
economic loss that. while it may be
fully compensated in other respects.
can never be recovered or reduced,
commercially.
Five minutes expended by every in
dividual in the consideration of means
of fire prevention. will result in saw
ing so lives and property already pro-
duced worth more than $4,000
If every dwelling. mill. storehouse,
public building, two persons in every
hundred of its population and its an
nual savings. were destroyed by one
vast confederation in Maine. the world
would be paralyzcd with horror
Yet in effect this very thing hap
pens every year Throughout the nlteQ
States and enough wealth, in the ag-
Eregate, is destroyed to construct TO-
600 miles of State road and support
1900 high schools for &c weeks.
Removal of Hazards Only Effective
Remedy
The problem then is; How can
this destruction of lives and property
be reduced"
A satisfactory solution Of the ques-
ton naturally associates itself with
review of the principal causes of fires
and the most effective methods of
dealing with thcm. The Department
makes the following suggestions dur