Evening star., 1936-04-19
i. s. SAFETY DRIVE
SHOWING RESULTS
Committee Compiling Data
to Coordinate All Units
in Program.

w
The administrations program to CO.
ordinate and intensity a Nationwide
effort to reduce the heavy annual loss
of life from accidents. toll which
overshadows the casualties OF war
fare-is beginning to show signs of
progress, although Congress has not
yet provided funds requested TO cover
the cost.
The plan to mobilize a united front
against the hazards of the home,
farm, factory, Office, mine and rail-
ways, airways and seaways, as well as
highways, was started through the
National Accident Prevention Con-
ference assembled here last December
by Daniel c. Roper, Secretary OF Com
merce, at the request OF President
Roosevelt. Senator Harry A. Moore
of New Jersey, whose record for safety
legislation while he was Governor
commended him for the job, was
made chairman of general committee
appointed to carry on the work, and
Labert st. Clair, transportation assist
ant of the Secretary of Commerce, was
lent to the organization as director OF
activities.
Bills calling for $4,000 to defray
clerical expenses of the various sub
committees, whose members are serv-
ing without pay, and for 100000 to
set up a unit in the Census Bureau to
provide for the first time accurate and
comprehensive statistics on accident
casualties, were introduced soon after
the conference Congress has acted
on neither, but passage of the $4,000
measure is expected soon, with the
other bill likely to go over until the
movement has been brought to more
advanced stage.
Studies Held Up.
The studies assigned to number
Of the subcommittee have been held
up awaiting the appropriation. Never
theless, Mr. st. Clair already has
been advised of marked progress in
several fields of the undertaking. Ex-
haustive reports and recommended
tions have been submitted from the
various branches of the automotive
industry, which has initiated $780,
600 to 100000 safety study and cam
paign in connection with the most
spectacular of the three major types
of accidents, those occurring on the
highways, before the conference was
called.
The American Red Cross. continuing
q campaign likewise started before the
;e ife AF Fn,.f tn
make the homes and farms, which are
estimated to produce as many, if not
more, accidental deaths annually as
the highways, safer places. The steam
railroads. meanwhile, are understood
to be preparing for campaign to re-
duce the hazards at railroad crossings,
and the electric railways are organ
izing movement of their own to in
crease the safety Of their operation.
The administration has emphasized
the voluntary nature of its accident
prevention mobilization from the out
set, stressing repeatedly that it had
neither desire nor intention to set up
a new permanent Federal agency.
Its purpose was to bring together the
agencies engaged in promoting safety,
to bring order into their scattered eff
forts. Once that is achieved, it in
tends to withdraw from the field on a
Federal scale, although, of course,
various Government agencies already
related to it will continue to function.
with revisions to fit them into the new
general plan.
Long Range Process.
The program is viewed as a long
range, permanent process, with special
intensified campaigns and drives"
omitted. For that reason it is thought
likely that after Congress has provided
the $4,000 to finance the present or
ganization. little pressure will be ex-
erted to speed action on the 5000 900
Census Bureau proposal until the pre-
liminary studies have produced a
more definite pattern of procedure.
At present accident statistics are
recognized as unsatisfactory. Even in
the case of highway accidents, which
have engaged widespread attention for
years, the statistics which the Census
Bureau has been able to assemble pro-
vide little foundation for we'll grounded
attacks on the problems involved.
Secretary Roper told the conference
that the best available estimate was
that 100000 American lives were being
lost annually in accidents on land and
sea and in the air. About IS times
as many persons are thought to be in
lured every year.
Accidents are thought to be divided
about equally among those on the
highways, those in the homes and on
farms, and those in industry. Rear
Admiral Cary T. Grayson, retired,
chairman of the American Red Cross,
who presided at the conference,
pointed out that while it was re-
corded that 244,000 Americans had
been killed in the six major wars in
which the United States had been in
volved, it was estimated that 388, 1000
men, women and children had been
killed in highway accidents alone in
this country in only Is years. He de-