Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 121, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 May 1913 — CRUSADE ON NOISE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CRUSADE ON NOISE

Woman’s War on Nuisance Becomes World Wide. Battle Begun in New York City Eight Years Ago to Suppress All Needless Clamor —Zone of Quiet Extended. New York. —That movement to suppress unnecessary noise which Mrs. Isaac L. Rice began in this town eight years ago has now extended to foreign countries, and the suppression of unnecessary noise has been added to the reforms of international scope, says the Evening Post Three years ago Prof. Theodore Lessing of Hanover, through the efforts of Mrs. Isaac L. Rice, the founder of the Society for the Suppression of Unnecessary Noise has been added to the band, the first organization of its kind in Germany. Today there are 39 local societies scattered throughout that country, and Professor Lessing, who is in constant communication with Mrs JRlce, reports the movement is steadily growing. In England practically nothing had been done until Mrs. Rice had successfully launched her campaign in this city. There is, however, at this time the Betterment of London association, working along these same lines, with the hope that its efforts will eventually be emulated throughout England.

Through the association in New York all unnecessary noise has been regulated in hospital zones, and night, with "its great gift of sleep," is no longer a menace to the patient School zones, too, though they do not rejoice in primeval quiet, are no longer beset by the noisy pests which once destroyed the nerves of teachers and made* real work for the children difficult Mrs. Rice feels, however, that the greatest work of the association has been done in promoting and popuiarizing the sane Fourth throughout the* country. There Is still a great chance to extend this branch of the work, and an effort is being made to convince the school children, not only of the danger of the firecracker, but of the pleasures to be derived from the* new method of celebrating. Statistics show that in 1908 there were 5,623 casualties resulting from the efforts of Young America to celebrate the national holiday. In 1912 this number had been re-

duced to 988, but from these figures one can easily see that there is still much to be accomplished. Mrs. Rios has had the co-operation of the mayors of many cities, who have put themselves on record as opposed to anything but the same celebration. Since the crusade against unnecessary noise was started in 1905 there has been an improvement of 85 per cent, in tugboat whistling on the rivers It was then a personal matter, but as the Hudson is a federal waterway, William 8. Bennet, member of congress from New York, succeeded in having a bill passed on February 1, 1907. which regulated this unnecessary disturbance. Last year, through the ruling of the board of health, the noise of motor boats was also regulated. Associated with Mrs. Rice as an advisory board are William Dean HowOils, Nicholas Murray Butler. Cardinal Farley, Dr. W. H. Maxwell and others, while the board of directors is made up of various superintendents of hoepitata. .

Dr. N. H. Maxwell.