Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-24


cost would be prohibitive, and, besides,
there would hardly be tasks enough
for them when school was out for the
evening or during vacation periods.
Another important angle to consider
is the added comfort and assurance it
provides to all motorists using the
streets at these times. 1t is tortuous
task, as well as a nerve-racking one,
to pilot your car past a schoolhouse
when the children are just coming out
or going in. The schoolboy patrols do
just as much, and more, toward facili-
tating the motorists progress as they
do toward protecting their companions.
There was great deal of indignation
excited recently concerning a sad acct
dent which occurred in front of one
Of our public schools. A schoolboy who
was serving as a member of the school,
boy traffic patrol was struck by an auto
mobile and subsequently died of his
injuries.
WHAT people exclaimed, in horror,
was that poor child doing directing
traffic? Where were the police? Who
are the inhuman brutes who allow mere
children to risk their lives in such a
fashion," etc.
People seemed to forget, in the mo-
mentary excitement caused by the
tragic accident, the noble and necessary
work performed by these boys: that it
were better one boy lost his life than a
dozen of his companions should lose
theirs crossing the street Some there
were who didn't seem to realize that
hundreds and thousands of boys and
girls are assisted across the streets in
safety daily by these well trained little
fellows.
There are, of course, as most every
'one realizes. but a limited number of
policemen, and it is almost an impos-
sibility to surround completely all the
schools with this number, but it is pos
S1ble to have every corner protected by
the boys who compose the schoolboy
patrol. They are vested with practi-
cally the same authority, during the
time they are in the street, as regu-
lar member Of the police force.
Whenever ! come in contact with one
Of these boys I always treat him exactly
as do brother officer. I always sa-
Lutte him on approach and when I am
leaving.
I also consider it the duty of every
notorist to obey implicitly the boys who
are doing this work. The motorists
should realize that the boys so detailed
are doing valuable work and an indis-
pensable one. They do much to prevent
accidents, with their horrible after
4ildbAAS. llC AiObOlloL cullSIS dlIIIDSI al
ways in point of narrowed feelings
Sometimes there are expensive damage
suits, etc. which might all have been
avoided if the corner had been properly
guarded.
I was, upon one occasion, a partial
witness to an incident which served to
convince me that all the loss and har-
rowed feelings are not sustained and
borne entirely by the relatives of a de-
ceased victim of an accident
The life of policeman does not con-
9ist entirely, as some people seem to
imagine, of standing on corner re-
splendent in blue and brass, twirling a
nightstick, or standing in the middle of
an intersection, footing whistle in au-
tocratic fashion. He usually plays a
central and extremely distasteful role
in all tragedies that occur on his beat
Death from any unnatural cause always
brings the burly man in blue and brass
around to take report or deliver the
message, etc. have on more than one
occasion personally delivered death mes
sages to homes when my courage was
hardly equal to the task of breaking the
news.
I received a message over the police
signal system one day to proceed to a
certain corner; that there had been an
accident there. When I arrived ] found