The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-03-30
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hutchet Out
The Truth
REMEDIES NEEDED AT
HOME
. WHY GO TO EUROPE?
. START ON UNEMPLOY-
MENT
. AND AUTO ACCIDENTS

Lots of evils right here at home de-
manding remedy. No need of looking
thousands of miles across the sea for
things that need correction.
Lond continued unemployment, farm
poverty and distress, due to inadequate
farm prices, city poverty and distress,
caused by low wages and lack Of en-
ployment, needless sickness, wretched
housing-these are few.
Automobile accidents are another.
They took $4,000 lives in 1888. They
injured more than a million persons in
the same year.
If one of the dictators invaded the
U. S., and killed $4,000 men, women
and children, the nation would rise in
it's anger and might, rally every re-
source of strength and energy to pun
ish the invader and prevent other kill
ings and woundings.
Yet killing and manning by motor
vehicles brings no great Outburst OF
national indignation and action.
X x X
America seems to have become ac-
customed to auto slaughter and as
nation, takes it as matter of course.
Safety work goes on ceaselessly, it
is true, but there is no great and over
whelming national effort to put stop
to deaths and injuries on the high
ways.
AS long as motor vehicles are driven
by fallible human beings, they will
cause some deaths and injuries.
But the number of fatalities and in
juries can be greatly reduced.
Operation Of accident bureaus, with
a trained personnel, is one proved way
to cut auto accidents.
Eighteen cities having such bureaus
reached auto fatalities by an average
Of 36 per cent in 1888 from 1887, the
International Association of Police
Chiefs reports.
X X X
Plenty of people insist speed is not
the great cause Of auto accidents.
The Travellers Insurance Company,
which knows as much about auto ac-
cidents as any organization in Ameri-
ca, says speed is the greatest single
factor.
The company not only makes this
flat assertion but backs it with facts
and figures compiled during years Of
study of the accident problem.
Too many people love to step heav-
lily on the gas. They drive faster than
is safe under existing conditions. Often
sudden death or horrible injury fol-
lows.
X X X
Automobile industry must share
part of the blame for the appalling
accident record of the last 20 years.
For long time, the industry en-
phasized speed. 1t appealed subtly as
we'll as frankly to many adults infan-
tile delight in speed. Finally public
protest caused toning down of speed
propaganda but it still goes on, to a
certain extent.
Then, too, auto industry talked big
about what it was doing for safety,
but fell down in some respects. 1t
vastly improved brakes, lights, safety
of glass bodies, but neglected a num-
ber of little things, such as sharp
pointed door handles and radiator orn-
aments, a source of injury and death.
In recent years, in the craze for
streamlining, so-called, it has produced
car bodies which have reduced road
visibility for the driver. Sharp criti-
cism by automotive engineers and pub
lie authorities has resulted in change
for the better in the last year or two,
but even yet, the driver does not see
the road over the front of the hood
! as he should.