The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-07-15
DALLAS, rEXAs, July II, 1879,

10 the Editor al The nallns Herald;
The subject Of underwriting in our
new frame towns IN Texas, sng-
gCstS itself 10 my mind as one lhAl
needs thorough ventilation at thc
hands of some fire insurance men of
large experience, but none of that char
actcr ecolu DESTROYS of appearing in
print, therefore offer such suggestions
rs In my limited experience occur 10
my mind.
Parties in the city of Dallas DESTROYS
of Obtaining insurance upon their
property approach an agent and in
qurc what Is Che rntc in this exclusive
ay frame range? Tho answer ~, from
to s per cent, rs the case may he.
Too high. too high! Can't afford II,
Now, certainly he has not examined
into the matter; he only knows that
the per ccntagc charged in meplaccs
is good annual interest. He has
failed 10 examine the character Of
building he wishes insured, It's Very
combustblc surroundings in every dl-
rcction, the utter impoasibilitics of say
ing the property should a ilreocc0r that
we have no fire department, not even
an organization Of mon with officers
10 command them, They entirely
overlook the enormous losses sustain.
ed by insurance companies In the last
in the United States show nm actual
loss IN the last ten years of ten per
cent, and were Il not that their stock
holdcls-mcn of wenlth--camc for
ward with their private means ana
sustained the company, and enabled IL
to make good its losses, certain failure.
would have been the result. Other
good companies, perfectly solvent,
are advising their stockholders to closo
up their business, and are actually
doing il, making the sad confession
that while rates have materially adj
vanccd, that the business Is still UNI
profitable, and that their stockholders
should know IT. 1t h well estnb-
lishcd fact that The number of lnsur~
ancc companies doing business IN the
United States is far short of the de-
,,,anI c,,. nro4oot ion
The great trouble about high rates,
monopolics, cxtortions, etc, is, that
everybody thinks his own rate II little
higher, proportionatcly, than every
body else, and that his locality is u
little less liable to fire than any other
place in town, and that his place
should be written on lower than other
localities.
The cause of an advance in rates for
insurance is very obvious to the mind
of any thinking man. II Is ottrihuta-
BILE TO the large number Of effectively
constructed buildings, TO the increased
use OF all the lower grades of petro-
leum, and to malice and thieves hut
more than all to incendiarism and care
lessness, which are the offspring of
slack times In busincss-nol making
money. The effect of this dullncss af
fccts both classes, the honest and dis
honest. The first becomes careless,
neglects the old precautions with which
he has been accustomed to hedge his
property against dangers. The latter
resorts to incendiarism. Honest men
become careless, dishonest men crimi- |
nall The honest man, when he Is losing !
money, ceases to have his stove pipe
mended, or any little repairs necessary |
to safety, begrudging the dollar il
wouldtake.
: Now, fellow-townsmen of Dallas, 20 |
to work and organize nm efficient fire
department, If 1t does cost money. 1t |
will be gain in the end. Cease to build !
houses which simply invite the raging
element OF fire; dismiss from your To-
cality, by some means, every man (ifl
any who increases your moral hazard,
for assure you that the great majority
of losses are attributable TO incendiar-
ism aud carelessness. Dismiss the use
of all oils for lights which are below
the government standard. Many pol
icics in this town are to-day void from
the use of low grades of oil. Petition
the City Council to prohibit the use Of
any such stuff, And when YOU do |
build brick houses, don't have your
joists pass through the division walls,
but have Mt least nine inches of brick
and mortar between. Look to these
and other preventives, and don't abuse
your insurance agents for high rates,
for these and the like things will re-
ducc them, \ H. =