Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-05
CHILDREN In SUMMER
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

Before the end of this month some
10000 900 children in this country will
be released from school and all ready
for the big adventures of vacation.
Some of those children are of an age
and of discretion such that they
will not require constant supervision
during the long holiday. Most of
them, however, will take a deal of
watching from mother and father--or
somebody-until school opens again in
the fall. k~
How to safeguard children at play,
especially those in the big cities and
lesser urban communities, is q prob
lem that has never been solved for
parents, save for those who are able
to have a tutor or governess in con-
slant attendance upon their young
sters. Even the boys and girls on the
farms of the country encounter haz-
ards in their recreation. Summer time
may be the joytime of youth, but it is
the time when fathers and mothers
acquire wrinkles and gray hairs. Far
too often it is the time when many
families are stricken with loss and
grief from which they might be
spared, if only somebody knew what
to do about it.
That this is not an overdrawn state
ment Of the perils of play is proved
by the fact that more than 90, 900 chill.
dren are killed in accidents in the
United States every year. An over
whelming percentage of these fatali-
ties occur to children at play. Some
are unavoidable, of course, so far as
the taking of precautions is con.
cerned. But the glaring record stands
of thousands of young lives snuffed
out because of carelessness, or the
spirit of adventure, or recklessness.
And 1t is to be borne in mind that
the number of children killed in ac-
cidents is but a fraction Of the num-
Der manned or more or less seriously
injured. For every fatality there are
at least 10. and possibly more, minor
casualties. In fact, the proportion
of dead and injured runs a close par
allel to that of the killed and wounded
in war.
The Deadly Automobile.
The greatest single cause of the
ruthless slaughter Of youth in this
country is the automobile or other
motor vehicle, statisticians have
learned. Every year motor accidents
claim approximately 1000 victims I'M
der Is years Of age. Most of these
fatal accidents to children occur dur
ing their playtime.
A survey made in Chicago is ac-
cepted as proof of this. A study was
made of 735 cases in which children
were involved in automobile acct
dents and it was found that COS of
the casualties took place in hours
when the children were not going to
or 10
significant that this survey covered
the period when children are in
school for the greater part of their
waking hours, except on Saturdays
and Sundays. Summertime fatalities
run higher and they almost invariably
occur to children at play.
The Chicago survey also showed
that the majority of the child victims
Of motor accidents were run down
while in front of their own homes
Almost one-half of the accidents took
place within the block where the
children lived. two,thirds were no
farther away than the next block. and
three-fourths were within two blocks.
More 6-year old children were struck
than of any other age group.
Schools through their safety in
struction and their safety patrol or
carnations have accomplished much
toward making children careful in
going to and from school, but it has
seemed almost impossible to inculcate
in young minds the lesson that care
fulness at play is quite as important,
if not more so. In fact. boys and
girls seem to take the safety first"
idea as a part Of the discipline to
which they must subject themselves
in school, or on their way to school
or to their homes. The moment they
feel themselves free Of that disci-
pine they cast care to the winds
and begin taking chances.
Obviously those children who have
no place to play save in the streets
ana on sidewalks are the most un-
fortunate ones and they supply the
ma jor number Of names on the roster
of accidents. Public Fairgrounds, es-
pecially in the densely populated
residential sections. save many young
| lives, and also save a great deal of
| wear and tear on parental nerves.
But there are many accidents to
children in homes for which parents
are largely responsible. directly or in
| directly. For instance, more than
| 1900 children under years Of age
die each year from burns, and this
! does not include deaths in fires in
WHICH buildings are destroyed. These