The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-11-08
CORRESPONDENCE

COhhESfUN UENCE.
HoSoLulu. October oath, 1873.
SIR-The undersigned representatives Of ali the
Foreign Fire Insurance Companies having Agencies
in this city, request permission to lay before Your
Excellency the views unanimously expressed at a
meeting Of the Fire Insurance Agents held ON the
21s, instant
Your Excelleney is aware that by means Of Fire
Insurance, a large amount Of Foreign Capital is
rIsked On the chances Of destruction II property In
this city by Fire.
But there is still a larger amount Of property which
all cur principals deem So unsafe. that they decline
10 insure II at any figure; and consequently indiv;d-
ual owners have TO assume risks, which wealthy cor
porations whose sole business i Fire Insurance are
afraid 10 entertain.
1t is not the direct duty Of Insurance Companies
to incur any expense in the diminution Of danger,
nor IN increased protection 10 property, Their prov
ince is simply to regard proposals as they may bc
presented 10 them, and TO decline or to accept them
at such rates as they may deem adequate to the risk
incurred.
\ very important clement in this decision is, the
provision that may exist for the extinguishment Of
fires, should they occur; and we cannot close our
eyes to the fact, that there is very inadequate provi-
sion at present existing in Honolulu for this purpose.
The recent unfortunate instances have confirmed
our fears regarding the short supply of water requi-
site for any sudden emergency of this nature, and il
necessarily devolves upon US 10 report faithfully 20
our Head Offices, all circumstances bearing upon the
condition Of the fire risks in our districts.
Should general instructions be issued to Agents,
either to increase rates, or to limit still further their
operations, it would have n disastrous effect both upon
the security and credit of property holders in Homo
lulu; and we therefore feel that the whole community
is directly and seriously interested in providing a
more complete protection for their property, whether
the risk be held by themselves, or transferred 10 for
eign capitalists.
Your Excellency will at once observe that We claim
no right TO ask for protection of the interests Of our
principals. who are presumed to be satisfied with the
risks they accept.
But being necessarily brought into close association
with the dangers incurred by property holders. We
feel it to be our duty to draw the attention Of His
Majesty's Government TO the grave and urgent occa-
sion there appears to be for an immediate increased
supply of water, and for the provision of every other
facility that can be instituted for the protection of
property in the event of the breaking out Of a fire
such as has devastated other cities, and might at any
moment lay Honolulu in ashes.
We trust the urgency of the case will be deemed
sufficient excuse for our trespassing upon Your En-
/ cellency's time.
We have the honor to be Sir,
Your Excellency's Obedient Servants.
THEO. II. DAVIES
Attorney for the Northern Assurance Company.
T. A. SCHAEFER & o
Agents for the Hamburg, Bremen Fire Ins. Companies.
WALKER s. ALLEN,
Agents for the Imperial Fire Ins. Company of London.
L. HOFFSCHLAEGER & 20.
Agents for the North British and Mercantile lns. Companies
p. pro. BISHOP s. CO.,
JOhN II. IAI4,
Agents Fireman's Fund Ins. Company Of san Francisco.
THE0D. G. HEUCK,
Agent of the North German Fire Ins. Comany of Hamburg.
III. HACKFELD & co,
Agents for the Transatlantic Fire ms. Company Of hamburg.
His Excellency EDWIN o. HALL,
IT. II. Ms Minister of the Interior, &c.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Honolulu, Oct. 9th, 1873.
TO Theo. IL. Davies, f. A. Schaefer & Co, Walker
q Allen, L. Hoffschlaeger & Co, Bishop X Co.,
Theod. c. Heuck, and Ill. Hackfeld & Co.
Gentlemen-Your communication of the 2lth inst
has been received, in which you present the views
unanimously expressed ut a meeting of the Fire In
surance Agents, held on the Dist inst.
l hardly need to assure you, gentlemen, that the
subject to which you allude has been one of anxious
solicitude to His Majesty's Government for the past
two or three months, and more particularly since the
summer seemed to be passing away without the rains
with which Honolulu is often favored during those
months. And L do not hesitate to say, that the equi-
table distribution of all the water to be had, has
been the unceasing endeavor Of the Superintendent
of the Water Works, whose efforts in that direction
have not been so fully sustained by persons having
irrigation privileges, as they should have been.
But while His Majesty's Government will do all in
its power to make the best possible use of the supply
we have, it is impossible to comply with your request,
81 for an immediate increased supply of water - until
rain shall fall to provide it. A more full supply for
Honolulu cannot be had, without an infringement Of
the rights of others.
That Honolulu, like every other city, is exposed to
serious disaster, (Which, may q kind Providence
avert) the experience of Chicago and granite built
Boston are but too indicative. And yet it can hardly
be conceded, as you assert, g that provision for the
extinguishment of fires in Honolulu is very made
quate."
1t is believed that few cities of the size and limited
wealth of Honolulu are better provided with the
means of extinguishing fires, and these have not been
diminished for many years. And it will doubtless be
your pleasure g to report faithfully to our, (your)
head offices, - that water pipes are laid down through
out the entire city, and even into the suburbs, which
Afford all the rIfIzpnS an abundant Su DnlU for all do
nestle purposes, and also for the irrigation of shrub
berry, grass and trees, Except for a limited period Of
drought, during exceptional years,) and to all the
extent needed for manufacturing purposes, and n full
supply for all the shipping that visits the port. And
to render these extensive facilities available for the
extinction of fires, there is a very efficient fire depart
ment, with all the engines, hose, hooks and ladders,
and other necessary apparatus, as well as special
fire plugs located at convenient distances all over the
city for their exclusive use. Nor should it be forgot
ten, that on account Of the introduction Of water
pipes into the city, thousands of trees have been
reared in every quarter, which, in this climate, being
always in full foliage form an i~nestimable barrier 10
the spread Of fires.
"The recent unfortunate instances To which you
allude, so far from g confirming our fears regarding
the short supply of Water.' would seem to prove
lust the reverse. In the first case, an unusually in
fammable wooden house was so suddenly and thor
oughly ON fire before an engine could possibly reach
it, that no hope of saving it remained; but although
in close c~ontiguity to an equally combustible building,
the fire was confined to the first, and spread no far
ther. Water was ready as soon as the engines were
ready for it. Water and trees both combined to pre-
vent the fire from spreading.
In the second case alluded TO, the fire was extin-
guished before it had consumed the premises in
which it originated, although of wood. There was
water in the pipes as soon as wanted.
The supply Of water is doubtless limited, after an
unusually dry summer, and His Majesty's Govern
ment earnestly desires to provide a special reservoir
for the use of the fire department. and yet it seems
reasonable to think, that in view of the almost entire
| exception of insurance companies from the payment
of losses for many years past, and from the facilities
the agents, by correctly representing the facts to
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