Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-16
STIRRED BY TRAGEDIES. "
us. SEEKS CHILD SAFETY
Memory of 10000 Deaths Lass Year
Arouses Nation to Launch Crusade
for Protection.

tons are promoting safety. and more
and more groups become affiliated with
the movement each year.
Los Angeles has made an eXtraordi-
nary move in the floating of bond
issue of s350,000 for the construction Of
40 tunnels under busy streets, primarily
designed to solve the problem of school
children crossing traflc arteries. These
tunnels have proved a most profitable
investment, for the list of accidents on
the streets in which school children are
involved has shrunk encouragingly.
Furthermore. the tunnels are policed
by junior safety patrols, sponsored by
the national safety council. Washing
ton has adopted similar plan with its
schoolboy patrols, fostered by the Dis
trict of Columbia division of the Ameri-
can Automobile Association. The patrols
have proved marked success here, and
the association is outlining a new pro-
gram of activity for the present school
year.
Detroit has followed the example of
Los Angeles in building tunnel so that
children of the Burton Street School
may go under the busy street instead OF
over it. While tunnel may cost thou
sands of dollars, safety officials point
out that one cannot measure money In
the saving of lives. The Detroit tunnel
is declared to be a real life-Saver, for
its construction has virtually eliminated
accidents in that vicinity-once source
of constant concern to parents and
police. Detroit also has formed chill
dren's safety club.
Massachusetts, has a safety council
which plans safety work in all OF its
schools. Jersey City, Hoboken and
Bayonne, in New Jersey, have erected
huge bulletin boards in prominent loca-
lions throughout the cities. and on these
boards are displayed safety bulletins so
| that those who walk or ride may read
them and profit by them.
Problem in New York.
New York City, with it's 1,045, 900
students, is intensely interested in safe
| ty education. With AZ children injured
each day and children killed every
| two days, the problem in the big me-
| tropolis is one that challenges the
ingenuity and the perseverance OF
| off1cialdom.
supt. of Schools o'shea of New York
has inaugurated special course in
safety, supplemented by motion and
still pictures, safety games, plays, spe-
cial talks and lessons.
AS educators the country over thus
taking an active part in the campaign
the safety movement in all its phases
continues to grow. And the number Of
accidents and deaths is slowly but sure
ly decreasing. The safety division of
the National Safety Council is in
liaison with boards of education and
other school authorities in at least 100
cities. Many cities, like New York. have
made the teaching of safety regular
part of the curriculum. This includes
not only safety on the streets, but safe
ty in the home, in the building Of boxes,
in the making or doing of anything by
children.
1t is gratifying to safety promoters
to note that wherever community safety
councils are active there has been a
continued decline in accidents. In 81
cities where safety councils now are
operating there was decrease Of Is
per cent in street accidents in the first
six months of this year over the same
period last year.
Latest developments in the field of
safety education will be disclosed next
month at a melting of the safety divi-
sion Of the National Safety Council In
New York City. Cooperating with the
division will be the National Congress
of Parents and Teachers, the American
Child Health Association, the Child
Study Association, the Progressive Edu-
cational Association, the Public Educa-
tional Association and the United Par
| entS' Association,