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Show Decline in Suicides By LEONARD A. BARRETT In one of the leading financial journals jour-nals recently appeared an article en- t-it-lcwl "Ktiifirlps T". f9 xl ' s V VI cline as Trade Improves!" Im-proves!" the suggestion sug-gestion being that because of the im-proved im-proved economic condition men found it unnecessary unneces-sary to resort to suicide in order to end their troubles. Insurance companies compa-nies in 1922-33 paid tinpreced ented large sums to families fam-ilies because of the suicide of a holder of a policy in which the members of the family were the beneficiaries. Some persons argued that suicide was not an act of cowardice, but on the contrary con-trary was indicative of a certain strength of character which provided the family with all necessary income. It seems passing strange that in a country which offers so much of freedom, free-dom, opportunity and advantage, that the lamp of courage could burn so low that the only refuge was in self-destruction. self-destruction. Perhaps one explanation for suicide can be found in the lack of reverence for home and all that it should mean to a head of a family. If the home has lost its charm and the only place assigned to the head of the family is that of a bread winner, win-ner, naturally he will find little to support him in his strenuous efforts to provide extravagant luxuries. On the other hand, doubtless many a discouraged dis-couraged man found great strength and an urge to fight the' battle through because those dependent upon him were helping in sacrificing the unnec- |