ADDRESS, GOVERNOR'S SAFETY-HEALTH CONFERENCE

BALTIMORE

September 23, 1960

This meeting today marks the second occasion that I, in my official
capacity as sponsor of the Governor's Safety-Health Conference, have
been afforded the pleasure and privilege of speaking to you....

A year ago when I spoke to this group, I attempted to outline the
problem we face here in Maryland to provide a greater degree of safety
for the people of the State. I cited some of the activities which were
taking place—some of the plans we have—in traffic safety, fire prevention
and fire protection and safety for working men and working women on
their jobs. I wish it were possible for me to report to you this evening
that great strides of progress had been made since we last met here a year
ago. I sincerely regret that I cannot make such a report. Highway
accidents continue to take a heavy toll in deaths and injuries. Too many
people continue to perish and too much property continues to be de-
stroyed by fires in our State. The problem of industrial accidents has
not been completely solved.

This, as we all know, is not a problem peculiar to Maryland. The
same pattern exists throughout the country, and throughout the world,
for that matter, where comparable conditions exist. The National Safety
Council, in its 1960 edition of "Accident Facts, " points out that in 1959
there was a total of 91, 000 accidental deaths recorded throughout the
United States. This is a startling figure. This is an appalling picture.

Unfortunately, most of us do not respond to barren figures and
statistics such as these. All of us have known cases in which a loved one,
a friend or an acquaintance has met an untimely death by accident.
Fortunately for most of us, however, these are rare occasions.

But let us examine that figure, 91, 000, more closely in an effort to see
what it represents. These accidental deaths total more than the popu-
lation of the cities and towns of Aberdeen, Annapolis, Bel Air, Cambridge,
Frederick, Salisbury and Westminster all put together. Let us all, for a
moment then, consider these 91, 000 accidental deaths in that light.

The same publication of the National Safety Council reports a total of
934, 000 accidental deaths during the ten-year period 1950-1959. This
approximates the entire population figure for the City of Baltimore.

Again, the National Safety Council reports a total of 9, 200, 000 dis-

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