Imperial Valley press., 1923-10-27
LETTERS TO THE open FORUM"

"Clean-Up Week surely gave a good start toward
better appearances and conditions Its impetus will
prove to have been either a shock momentum. If
shock it will be detrimental if momentum, it
will be loaded with benefit The school girls respond
ed in work and in testimony regarding it, which will
open the eyes of folks when they read the list of
awards and the compositions next Monday. The
breadth of their of what the week meant is strk
ing
partrnent seems to have been disregarded by every
That there is such factor in city life admits
of no doubt; and the pertinent question is what are
going to do about it. This delinquency lies in two
important and vital dangers.
The first arises when the department is rendered
delinquent in reaching the center of fire danger by
being mpeded in their by the senseless action of
bcyclists autos, and frenzied pedestrians who want
to the fire than to contribute to its being put
out. Delinquency in point of time would be far less if
the department were given full and free right OF
way to get there. HAVE YOU CONTRIBUTED to
the delinquency OF the department IN this way? ARE
YOU GOING TO Do 1T AGAIN IN THIS WAY?
The second delinquency arises in still more vital
manner Every time fireman faces the fire fiend he
puts his own life in the balance against determina-
tion to defeat the enemy. What may appear but a
small beginning often develops into most perous
result. Dangers from explosions, from chemicals,
from colapses of roofs floors from multitude of
unforeseen conditions are the firetigers claws to tare
and kill its human foe. Every time the tiger succeeds
IN destroying of its firekillers it is contributing
to the delinquency of the department inasmuch it
IS mpairng the efficiency of that organization by
ducng the quota OF its personnel.
Have YOU been contributing to the delinquency
of the department by allying yourself involuntary
with the fire-fiend? Have you thoughtlessly aligned
yourself with the destructive elements that hourly i'm
peril firemen? Have you realized that often
fireman jeopardizes his life-and as often one of
them loses it-you, by criminal carelessness or
thoughtessness may have been contributory to that
woeful fact? Have you realized that the chain of
circumstances that hooks onto the chariot of fire got
It's first links out of your negligent act in placing in
flamabe litter where the tiger could lie down in it
until he saw his opportunity to leap from. ii?
Delinquency? Should the department ever be
charged with it by you, when you have been the
to originate and cooperate to that end? Every time
place leave fre-food where the hungry tigers
nav reaches for and secures it, you imperiling
flremans life, and sometimes causing its loss. Can
one CeanUp week atone for ali the sad delinquency
with which you threaten the fireman every day for
year? Are you disposed to deny that if there is de-
linquency within the ranks of Volunteer Fire De-
partment, part of its promotive may be laid
your door justly? If it be there has any of been
absorbed from you? Under latter day phrasing
delinquency comprehends at least two parties to it.
Are you of them?
VIII you stop contributing to the peril of fire
mans life by abstaining every day from doing the
homey things that contrbutory to its impair
ment, and consequent delinquency? | am not willing
to believe that citizens will persist in endangering
little acts may mean-acts that more of thought
lessness than intent-but nevertheless verge cr-
nal carelessness.
Cleanup Week; you did good work in it, and
showed it the forerunner of fireprevenon. Fire
Prevention Week you asonished yourself by proving
twn-born with the other Both were a seven days
wonder. What is the 'carry-over" going to show in
your case?
Albert Durham