Evening star., 1939-11-02
|0'conor' r's'Appeaf
Opens MaiyIand's
Safeiy'Week
Governor Asks More
Active and Reolistic
Program to Cut Toll j
., = stat, Correspondent Of The Star.

BALTIMORE. Md, Nov. 2.-An
appeal for . more active and realis-
tic safety program directed toward
q reduction Of tranic deaths was
voiced by Gov. Herbert R. O'Conor
last night in inaugurating Mary
lands observance Of November
Safety Week.
The Governors speech, broad
cast over q local radio station, was
made in the Southern Hotel, where
300 civic leaders gathered to hear
him. simultaneously, the Maryland
Trafac Safety Committee put on
numerous community programs
throughout the State.
Calling attention to the more than
10000 deaths on highways and
streets in the United States since
January and declaring that Mary
land has sadly contributed its share
Of those fatalities-336," he as
serted:
Some may observe that we might
well say about traffic fatalities what
q famous American humorist, Mark
Twain, once remarked about the
weather, that everybody talks about
1t, but no one ever seems to do
anything about It, Frankly, be-
lieve that we have neither heard
enough, nor done enough, about
the tragic trafic conditions that
exist all about u.s.
Must Do More Than Talk.
II contend that, until we do be-
gin to talk realistically about traf-
flc accidents, and until we really
make up our minds that we must do
more than just talk about them,
we never will see any appreciable
reduction In the terrible total Of
deaths that each new month
brings"
Gov. O'Conor said Maryland has a
real challenge before it, explaining
thdt last year it had the worst traffic
record in that group of States made
up of New England, New York,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Della
ware
Can success be achieved?" he
asked. "Well, we only have to look
at the results elsewhere to see that
those States which have advanced
plans for traflic safety have been re-
paid in the lowest death rates from
accidents.
Most gratifyingly, the number Of
traff1c deaths in the State during the
period covered by October Traffic
Week went down sharply. from 13
in the first week of October last
year to e4ght in october Week this
year.
Just how large a part our Octo-
Der Week efforts played in that re-
duction no one could ever say with
certainty. Of course. At any rate,
five less lives were sacrificed during
that week than had been the year
before. We sincerely hope that there
will be shown a like result when we
come to the end of November Safety
Week.
/ ri Co-aberation Of Public. !.
The Governor declared that every
resource Of State departments and
omcials would be called upon t0af-
ford training. scientific improves
ment in road conditions and COM
pulsory adherence to law, but said
there still remains the great neces-
sity for securing cooperation from
the motoring public through sane
and careful operation Of cars. and
from pedestrians through the exer-
ton of every possible precaution in
crossing streets and highways.
1T is here that your campaign is
directed he added. I'VE are ask
ing the driver for something that it
won't cost a cent to give, namely, to
exercise decent and reasonable care
while he Is handling an instrument
which can be converted into a deadly
agency if he is reckless or careless"
The November Safey Week inaug-
urated by last years broadcast is
to be continued until November /.
In this period every attempt will be
made by concentrated publicity to
hold down accidents. The plan is
similar to that tried in the first
seven days Of October. A third
trial Is to be conducted during the
first week in December.