The Times

THE TIMES

the local community newspaper for all South Dade John T. Watters, President & Publisher William von Maurer, Editor Robert M. Slane, Advertising Manager Subscription: $3.00 year by mail anywhere

A National Tragedy

In this political year we hear much from the national candidates about "rate of growth," "gross national product," "standards of living," and "leads" and "lags." Without getting into the obvious partisan bias that creeps into discussion of the state of the nation, it is startling to note the tremendous toll in lives and money accidents have cost America in the past 10 years. Statistics released recently by the National Safety Council are nothing short of appalling: Dead - 934,000. Economic loss - $100 billion. Manpower loss - 2.75 billion "man days." Last year alone, 46 million persons were injured - of which 9.2 million became disabled as a result of their injuries. Workmen lost 230 million "man days." It is sometimes difficult to assimilate raw statistics, but this obvious loss to the nation is manifest. Among those who died from accidental causes were many still in the prime of life, youths with their lives ahead of them. The contribution they might have made to our society will never be known. How much poverty could have been eliminated, suffering alleviated, security provided, and our military posture strengthened with $100 billion? Florida's "contribution" to the national accident picture was about average. Floridians died at the rate of 57.4 per 100,000 in accidents last year. New Englanders, despite a higher degree of industrialization, fared much better. Connecticut's accidental death rate was 33.3 and Rhode Island 35.1. On the other hand, Alaskans, with 135.1 and Nevada, 123.9, had the poorest records on safety. Alcohol, as you might suspect, played an important contributive role - especially in the motor vehicle statistics. One out of every five drinkers involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident had been drinking. Nearly one out of every three fatal motor vehicle accidents involved a drinking driver. Approximately 10,000 of 32,000 fatal motor vehicle accidents in the last year involved a drinking driver. One out of every four adult pedestrians killed in a motor vehicle accident had been drinking. Approximately 1500 of the 5700 adult pedestrians killed last year had been drinking. Nothing can be done to bring back the lives and money lost. But something can be done to minimize future losses. What? We can be more careful, for one thing. Some accidents are unavoidable - the result of unpredictable forces and unforseeable events. But most are due to either carelessness, recklessness, lack of proper safety training or poor attitudes. Preventive measures are the best way to avoid accidents in the home - a first class place for injury and death. As indicated before, intemperate use of alcohol is a serious contributor in motor vehicle accidents, but also in other types of accidents. Workmen, especially those engaged in hazardous occupations, must be educated to the potential dangers surrounding their jobs and precautionary measures that may be taken. In summary, it appears to us that an industrial and mechanized society presents countless pitfalls to life and limb. If we are to offset these awesome losses, we must become more safety conscious. The alternative is an ever climbing statistical spiral, bringing more heartbreak and financial loss to our people.

Do You Really Want To Make It Easier For Him?

Remember The Times

25 Years Ago Col. Henry L. Doherty said the season's sports and entertainment program would soar to $500,000 at the Miami Biltmore Hotel... 'Careful driving concerned the city fathers as Coral Gables published a textbook on traffic laws for area motorists... Ministers from Florida's east coast attended a religious program at the Coral Gables Presbyterian Church... An editorial in the Riviera Times praised the beauty and scholastic efforts of the 10-year-old Coral Gables Elementary School. The school observes its 35th anniversary this year. 10 Years Ago Mr. and Mrs. Coral Gables received their tax bills and discovered that they mounted to almost a million dollars. The tax bills amounting to $944,981 were based on an assessed valuation of more than $57 million... Garbage and incinerator workers in the Gables threw up their hands in disapproval and besieged City Hall for a 25 percent hike in salaries... Jack Harding, University of Miami's athletic director, was appointed a member of the Coral Gables Athletic Asso.... The Coral Gables Civitan Club unanimously passed a resolution asking the city to consider beautification of Gables' business streets. One Year Ago Cliff Foster was appointed traffic engineer for the City of Coral Gables... The Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce was getting ready to move into its new headquarters at 50 Aragon Ave.... The Coral Gables City Commission turned thumbs down on a proposal to spend $2400 each year to maintain Merrick Manor, the former home of the city's founder... Decorative bells attached to street light poles during the Christmas season on Miracle Mile was a thrifty answer to the Yule lighting problem. That was the conclusion reached by the Gables Chamber of Commerce in planning how to decorate the main business street.

PROFILE of the week

Called "The Redhead" since the day he was born, Byron Nelson, 43, has been executive vice president of the University Federal Saving and Loan Association for the past two years. After graduating from Vero Beach High School, Nelson, a native Floridian, worked his way from bookkeeper to vice president of the Indian River Citrus Bank. It was during this time that he met his wife, Cleo. The Nelsons have a daughter, Sylvia, 12. Arriving in Miami in 1949, Nelson became vice president of the First National Bank of Coral Gables, a position he held for seven years. He was then with City National Bank until the organization of University Federal in 1958. Nelson is a member of the Coral Gables Lions Club, The Citizens Committee, treasurer of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Board of Deacons of the Central Baptist Church. Woodworking is Nelson's only hobby. "It's all I have time for," Nelson said. Nelson, Byron. Bn. Jasper, Fla. M. Cleo. Ch. Sylvia, 12. Occ. Executive vice president, University Federal Saving & Loan Association. Ed. Vero Beach High School.

South Miami Roundup By EDWIN KNIGHT

LET ME SAY HERE and now that I'm not a joiner. I never have belonged to any civic organizations, although I secretly am pleased that I have been asked to join several. But since the opening of Coral Gables Stadium several years ago, I gradually have drifted into the membership of a unique club that has no charter, by-laws or organized membership. It has a name, though - THE FENCE HANGERS. THERE ARE ALL TYPES of fences. You can name them as well as I, but the fence we hang on is a specific one at Coral Gables Stadium. It's the fence inside the field that separates the spectators from the gridiron. If you have attended a game at the stadium recently, you probably have seen us there. We are usually dressed in shorts or old clothing and can be seen hanging with one or two arms on the fence. Occasionally we hurl loud insulting remarks at the referees in between bites on a hot dog or a swig of Coca Cola. It's all a part of being a member of THE FENCE HANGERS. NOT EVERYONE CAN JOIN. You have to be a football expert (not just an arm-chair quarterback), you must be able to yell in a bull-like voice at the players or the officials and you must loathe sitting in the stands with the masses. Each year we have different projects. Two years ago we attempted to skyrocket hot dog sales in the Coral Gables area with our purchase of franks at the stadium. Last year we tried to make referees more accurate in their officiating by calling the penalties from the fence or belittling the officials when they called a rule infraction we didn't see. THIS YEAR WE FEEL we have a more worthwhile project. With our vast knowledge of football, we have turned our attention to the team quarterbacks. We are going to turn an all-out club effort toward seeing that the quarterbacks call the right plays at the right time in the right part of the field. Coral Gables, Southwest and Palmetto High School quarterbacks have been helped tremendously by our fence-post advice. We feel this is the reason why the Coral Gables High School football team is rated so high in state football circles this year. Palmetto High also has done well through the plays called by THE FENCE HANGERS. WHO HAS JOINED this worthwhile group, you're about to ask? Believe me, if there was a membership roster, it would include some of the better names of Southwest Miami and Coral Gables. We have made an effort to secure a member in each professional category in addition to at least two members from each trade. Throw in a dozen police officers, some firemen and several off duty sports writers and you have the roster. YOU CAN'T TELL WHICH ones are the professionals or the tradesmen. Generally the professionals look more sloppy (a mark of a good fence hanger) than the others. This is only because they have worn suits all day. But the hot dogs are consumed by the entire group. Half-times are a welcome reprieve to most club members. The time is well spent in good fellowship. When we aren't shaking hands with other club members around us we can usually be found ogling the band majorettes on the field through binoculars, lighting up cigarets or reminiscing about the days when we played football. When the whistle is sounded ending the half-time festivities we get back down to our business. OCCASIONALLY WE HAVE GUESTS who have missed games at Curtis or Moore parks in Northwest Miami and are making up absences with an attendance at a Coral Gables game. Most members live within two miles of the stadium. Often times members don't know there is a game going on until they go outside their homes and see the lights from the field glowing in the sky. IN THAT EVENT, club members are obliged to get to the stadium as soon as possible in the apparel they are wearing at the time. This is one reason why most meetings don't begin until after the game has begun. In the case of a big game, such as the Coral Gables-Jacksonville Lee fracas or the Coral Gables-Southwest Miami tilt later in the year, members are certain to have their position at the fence long before the game starts. THERE IS EVEN A WAITING list for membership, as evidenced by spectators pressing members against the fence to get a look at the field. But, like the seasoned fence hanging veterans we are, we clutch hard at the fence to keep our positions against the onslaught of the one-night spectator. Recently at a half-time club meeting during a game the organization came up with a project for next year. We are going to petition the stadium advisory committee to put a sign outside the field listing the games to be played during the year. THE SIGN WILL BE large enough to be read easily from Coral Way and for the benefit of those spectators and club members who do not know when games are scheduled. But no matter when games are held, there always will be club members at the game, advising the quarterbacks and the officials and helping in the sales of hot dogs.