of Governor Herbert R. O'Conor 393

STATE-WIDE SAFETY CONFERENCE DINNER

Hotel Emerson, May 19, 1941
Baltimore

IT is a happy augury for the future well-being of the industrial workers of
Maryland, that the State Industrial Accident Commission has received such
whole-hearted cooperation from both industry and labor in this first State-wide
Safety Conference.

Much has been said during the past two and one-half years about the
State's accomplishments, in the field of legislation looking to the safeguarding
of labor's interests and, truly, we may all feel gratified with the advances thus
made.

Both in the field of unemployment compensation, and in compensation for
industrial accidents and diseases, Maryland is well in the forefront of the pro-
gressive states of the Union, we hope benefits have been increased, coverage
has been broadened, and the various laws affecting the interests of our workers
have been brought closer into line with the ideal in this direction.

Some of you may perhaps have read, however, at some time or another,
the story of "The Ambulance Down In The Valley. " In a certain country
district there was a very dangerous turn in the road, close to the edge of a
steep cliff, at the bottom of which reposed a populous village. Accidents oc-
curred with appalling regularity, and many were the killed or seriously injured
travellers, who, having missed the turn, went over the cliff and were carried
off to the hospital, or morgue, by the emergency ambulance crew stationed
there.

From time to time, far-sighted residents of the district appealed to the
county officials to erect a fence around the edge of the cliff, in order to prevent
the accidents that were occurring so frequently. But invariably, their requests
for protective measures were met with rebuff, for the officials felt that they
were doing their part by supplying the "ambulance down in the valley", and
nothing was ever done at the point of accident.

•Fortunately, while as a result of laws which have been passed recently,
the "ambulance down in the valley" has been provided in the form of greater
benefits to the workman who is unfortunate enough to be injured or out of
employment. We have not felt that, in so doing, we were by any means ful-
filling our complete duty to the residents of the State.

Particularly now, with the great increase industrial activity in Maryland
and the consequent upswing in accidents, the fact has been impressed upon our
minds of the great, and in all too many cases, needless wastage occasioned by
the many preventable industrial accidents. It was with this in mind that the
Chairman of the State Industrial Accident Commission, Mr. Moylan, projected
the idea of a State-wide Industrial Safety movement, and immediately secured
the backing of the Administration. We all recognized that such a movement