Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-01-01

TEXASTAKINC
HEAVY TOLL
Conscience of Public
Be Aroused,
DE Safety
Worker I'm Address
Especial to The Herald,

49, -
ana injuries from accidents will con-
linue az an appalling rate until more
people nave a conscience on the sub-
!ect. Inc records show that there
were o62o injuries and 1894 deaths
resulting directly or indirectly from
a~ceident IN Texas the last twelve
w. z. James who, as director of
the 4 Council Of Safety, has made
an extensive study of the causes Of
accluentss declared in an address de-
iiVereo recently in Houston that a
campaign Of education is the chief
nope OF relieving this great annual
loss OF life and property.
our emotions are stirred 10 the
limit and u blood is made to boil
"hen We read in the papers of the
many brutal murders that the COM
mitted BY that class of automobile
drivers who have no conscience" he
continued. II refer TO those cases
where people. especially children and
elderly persons, are run down. run
over and left bleeding and dying in
the streets or highways. We hear Of
cases of this kind almost every day.
campaign of education. therefore,
tnat VIII inform and at the same time
develop a consciousness with respect
TO duty IN this matter will result in
the saving of life and property and
IN blessings to the people.
Safety Big Problem j..
The question Of public safety has
come To be one of the paramount
problems before the American people.
To be convinced of this fact, we have
only to read the national accident re-
port for 1926. According TO this re-
port, there were more than 10000 per-
sons killed by accidents in this coun-
try last year. 1t is claimed By ma
tional safety workers that the num-
Der Of injuries and fatalities result
ing annually from accidents i'm the
United States exceeds the number of
American soldiers killed and injured
in the World War.
The accident situation in our own
state is appalling. For more than a
year we have been gathering infornta-
ton from all parts of the state and
the records show that, from Sept. 4,
1926 to Sept. i, 1927, there were 662S
injuries and 1894 deaths resulting di-
rectiy or indirectly from accidents
IN Texas. These figures were OBJ
tanned from reports given i'll news
papers during the twelve months
mentioned.
The records also show that the
automobile causes more accidents,
personal injuries and deaths than any
other one thing. Ii is held respon-
sible for 4427 Of the 662s personal
injuries and for 720 of the 1894
fatalities. Railway trains are charg-
- wu4NL. DnE rn1v~s1- ~ nNt 18th
while firearms are held responsible
for 1877 injuries and 12T deaths. The
other injuries and fatalities reported
resulted from such causes as falls,
burns, asphyxiation, drowning, ex-
plosives, etc. Surely the situation is
serious enough to call for concerted
action, and TO cause every good citi-
zen TO want TO do his best TO help
find q solution to the problem.
Accidents Caused"
but what are we 10 do about this
appalling situation? How Is the
problem to be solved? in my opinion,
the solution lies in proper investiga-
ton, legislation, eduation and cooper
alton.
Accidents do not just happen.
They are caused, and proper investi-
cations of these causes should be
made. The competent and conscien-
tions physician viii do more than
treat his patients for typhoid fe-
yer. He will labor faithfully to 10
cate the source of the trouble and
then apply remedial measures. SO
should the work Of safety be car
Tied on in every community. Ii
there are more accidents on a GER
49, - .-.e 49,
highway intersections, or at other
points, careful investimatIon should
be made to determine the cause
of such accidents. Real investiga-
tions, therefore, will reveal the main
sources of our. accident troubles,
whatever the causes may be. and
we all know that effective remedies
cannot be successfully applied un-
til these causes have been determ-
ined.
1T appear that Texas is in need
of more constructive legislation.
Our streets and highways cannot be
used with a very great degree of
safety and satisfaction SO long as
every kind and character Of persons
are permitted to operate motor We
hicles at will. Surely it is reason
able TO believe that a practical auto
mobile operators license law would
render a great service 10 the public
in the matter of safety.
Seek Uniform Laws
cat the present time, people with
badly defective eyesight and hear
ing, and others who are known 10
be nervous wrecks, habitual drunk
ards, drug addicts and criminals are
operating motor vehicles on our
streets and highways. and are con-
stantly endangering the lives OF the
people. Would a good business man,
banker, farmer, manufacturer, pub
lie carrier or other employer retain
an employee who belongs to any one