, 1874-09-13

standard Of eight inches.
The other exactious are, on all brick. stone.
and iron buildings, advance in rates per 5100,
il the following csses: Composition roof, Is
cents Mansard roof, not tre-proof, on build
ings over 70 feet high. 81; wooden coruice on
iour-story buildings. 50 cents; Tor each story
over four stories, 10 cents; for want Of fire.
walls above roof, Is cents; openings between
buildings. u cents; absence Of iron shutters On
rear and side openings ST.
III any caso wLcre four-stors brick building
is supplied with water By less than 4-inch ser
vice.pipe, and has composition roof without
6te-walls, has wooden cornice and no iron shut
ters. the additional rate OF insurance amounts to
nearly 8 per cent, which is Of itself an enor-
nous rn:o of insurance, aud there is cause for
the victim to cry aloud. Tho insurance compa-
nies allose that these rates are made necessary
because Of deficiencies in construction, au Of
which eau be remedied at comparatively small
cost. As one OF moro Of these deficiencies ex-
ist on most OF the houses in the city. there has
been a general aud costly experience OF ad-
yaucod rates, aad as general q remonsttance.
So general was ths rc,nonstrance. that tho COM
panics have felt compelled to ISSUE letter (pub
lished in TIE TRIBUNE this norning) explaining
tho occasion and necessity for the advanced
rates.
Notwithstanding tho great fire OF 1871, and the
alarming we'll destructive lire of last July,
the Common Council hare not given the least
attention to tho enactment Of d proper building
law. Iron shutters, fre-walls above roofs,
wooden Mansartis and wooden coruices, ago
matters that should be regulated By law sucl,
laws prevail elsewhere, and Tend to the avoid
anco OF fires. In tho absence OF my law, the
insurance companies haya sought by MI increase
OF rates to induce owners Of buildings to yoluu-
tarily supply these deficiencies. They state that
iron shutters cost al average Of 515 window
and their necessity haa become SO apparent that
We understand tho factories hare, at this
moment, orders four months ahead OF their
capacity to furnish tho,n. That "dciiciency''
therefore will be rapidly cured Tho cost of
building a tirc-wal three feet above the
roof Of q building, being generally party
wall, is incousideranle, and owners Of
buildings will hardly neglect to have them con-
structed- Three months extra rate OF insurance
will pay for such walls on any building in the
city. The removal OF wooden cornices and COM
position roofs, and the substitution OF others,
which changes would long ago Lave been required
arc eaid to be Inexpensive compared with the
Increased ratio of insurance due to those de-
fciencies-
The most sweeping requirement is that occa-
stoned by the smallness of the watcr-seryice
pipes on the streets. Tie standard measure of
such pipes fixed by Mr. Chesorough il inches.
To take up all the ssryico-pipe below this
standard in the business part OF the city would
aggregate an immense sum. The city has no
revenue, and can incur no debt for that purpose.
But the Board OF Public Works declare that, if
the propcrty-ownerB along any street will ad-
vance to the city S1.50 per front foot of their
pipes AMI lny down the large ouea md that be-
tween now and the close Of the Season, six or eight
millions Of feet OF such scrvico-pipe can be
changed Thus, it appears that for $39 paid
by the owner OF each 25-foot lot, ho cau have
the small watcr-pipe replaced by larger one,
and the ratio Of insurance reduced thereby from
Il to y per cent. The difference in the cost OF
insurance and that Of the water-pipe is SO strik-
ing that, in view Of the confessed inadeauacy of
the water supply, and tho notorious Inability Of
the city to expend dollar, VIC confess VIC think
property y-owners stand in their own light in not
having the change made as soon as possible. An
average expenditure OF less than $500 OH each
iye-story building will remedy all the substau-
insurance companies have imposed additional
rates, ranging from to 219 per cent.
The companies give notice that, rs these
changes are made, the advanced rates will be
abated. and the premium refupded,-they claim
ing tint it is more profitable to insure at tho
lower rates, it these changes be made, than at
the advanced rates If no alteration take place.
Under these circumstances. it is a question for
propoEty-owuers to consider whether they will
pay tho advanced rates, go without insurance,
OF adopt the change OF construction demanded
In looking at this question it should be remem-
bcred TINT, If VIC had a Common Council OF
ordinary Intelligence and respectnbility, there
would have long since been law requiring iron
shutters, aao Prevails above the roof, and pro-
hibiting wooden corrices, wooden Iansards.
and composition roofs. After the election, If
another large fire takes place. 4 law to that
effect may be passed, and what ia now demanded
by the insurance companies will then he re-
quired, by law. Will the owsers Of valuable
property. voluntarily w.it the enactment Of that
law and pay enormous extra insurance. or will
tAe5 anticipate the law, aud aave tho excessive