Evening star., 1935-05-08
One Child in Three Faces
Death or Injury, Says
Traffic Director.
URGES TRAINING CHILD
TAKE PRECAUTIONS
Most Accidents Occur in Morn
ing, but Most Fatalities
Are at Night.

Describing the automobile as IAN
engine of destruction unless properly
and carefully handled" District Of Co.
lumbia Traffic Director William A.
Van Duzer told the International So
ciety for Crippled Children this noon
that lone child in three faces prob
ability of death and injury in an auto
mobile accident before he can complete
his normal life span, if the present
fatality rate continues In the District
and throughout the country"
Pointing out that responsibility for
most of these accidents is divided, Mr..
Van Duzer suggested that increased
protection would be afforded children
by the following remedies: More play
grounds, incloSed play space for small
children, education Of children by
parents and teachers as to danger OF
playing in streets and teaching them
to take precautions before crossing
streets.
Turning to statistics, the traffic d.
rector said II children under Is years
of age were killed by automobiles here
during 1884, while 968 others were
injured. Four of the deaths were
caused by the children running from
behind parked cars, three by crossing
between intersections, three by play
ing in street and two by riding oi-
cycles in the street.
Most Deaths at Night.
"Most of the accidents occur be-
tween and 6 pm, but more persons
are killed between z and pm. Con-
gestion causes accidents. but speed is
the principal cause Of motor vehicle
deaths. More accidents happen on
Saturday afternoon than any other
time, but more persons are killed on
Sunday.
washington has more than 1000
automobiles operating on its streets
every day, 10000 from outside the
District. This is the heaviest regis
tration in the United States in pro-
portion to the size of the community.
Van Duzer spoke before a safety
first" lunch of the convention, the
meeting beng called to order by H. v.
Schreiber, safety engineer for the Cap
ital Transit Co., with Burton w.
Marsh, A. A. A. safety patrol, presid-
ing. w. Dean Keefer, director of in
dustrial safety of the National Safety
Council, also spoke, and all Joined IN
a round-table discussion led by H. l.
Willett, jr., a director of the Washing
ton Community Chest. aud Sybil
Baker. director of Washington play
grounds.
President King Reelected.
The Resolutions Committee Of the
convention reported its sentiment to-
ward the pending social security meas
ure, making two main points; first,
that provision be included for educa-
ton Of handicapped children In the
proper section of the bill. and, second,
that safeguards be provided to protect
State organizations already function
ing in behalf of handicapped children.
The Board of Directors this morn
ing reelected Paul H. King of Detroit
as president of the society.
Three breakfast meetings were held
this morning, followed by general
session, the latter dealing with tech
nical studies of prevention of Grip
pling diseases. A forum discussion on
coordination of programs for handi-
capped children was scheduled this
afternoon.
White House Visit Slated.
At 5 o'clock, the delegates were to
visit the White House where Presi-
dent Roosevelt is expected to address
them briefly from the south portico
of the executive mansion.
The annual banquet of the society
is scheduled tonight, and tomorrow
many of the delegates will go to
Baltimore for a single days session
there.
Although disagreeing as to the pre-
else method, the common thought OF
United States Commissioner of Educa-
ton John w. Studebaker and Miss
Katherine Lenroot, head of the Chill
dren's Bureau, that the Federal Gov
ernment should assume increased re-
sponsibility in the care and education
Of crippled children was received with
favor by the convention.
Suggests Enlarged STAFF.
Declaring that only about 10 per
cent of the physically handicapped are
being given educational opportunities
suitable to them, DR.. Studebaker
added:
"The Federal Government should
have an agency charged with the re-
sponsibility of disseminating informa-
ton, giving consultative service and
co-ordinating the efforts made toward
bringing about comprehensive pro-
gram for the education of handicap
ped children. The Office of Education
is the logical agency for this response
bility. the staff available for such
service should be enlarged.
1.-THE Federal Government should
stimulate the States to improve their
programs where such exist, or to
formulate programs where they do
not exist. This it can do best through
offering financial aid, supplemented
by the services already described"
Speaking at the evening session,
Miss Lenroot urged support OF the
pending social security bill in its
present form, by which the Children's
Bureau would be given co-ordinating
control over State and Federal efforts
in behalf of handicapped children.