, 1874-11-22
Tha Committee Of the National
Board Visit the Citizens
Association.
MIR. Oakley and others Express Their
Qualification with what the
.~- City Is Doing.
Gen. sha|er Compliments the Personnel
ci the Fire Department


Discussion Of tho Question OIL
Orer-Insurancc.
.Ameetine Of citizens invited BY the Executive
committee Of the Citizons' Association TO meet
tho Visiting Committee Of the National board OF
Firn Underwriters was held yesterday afternoon
nj thu rooms of the Citizens Association, corner
of Washington and LaSalle streets,
Tho meeting was called to order By the Pres1-
don't, Franklin MaoVeagh.
OBJECT OF THE MEETING.
The Chair stated that the meeting had been
cal1ed to extend to the Visiting Committee OF
the National Board Of Underwriters. who, some
how. had no hankering after Chicago, vel
come. and to show them that the city was not ae
bad place as it seemed to be- The CITIZENS OF
Chicago and the visitors had common interest.
In the rast few months, aimee the withdrawing
of the National Board Companies, Chicago had
made rapid str7dcs- What had been done, the
Fxecrtiye Committee of the Association pro-
noeed to show its visitors. The duty OF our
citizens was to render Chicago as safe as
possible from tha raTages OF ire Inc
action Of the insurance companies
Ind stimulated property~holders to better
rreparo for ee!f-protection- Tho city Fire De-
ar.rcnt WAS in course Of 1eorginatiou, and had
heen since the 14th of July. The fire limits had
bean made co-extensiye With the city, and Gen.
Shaler had been employed to adrance the COM
r1etion OF tie reorganization The work could
not be Immediately accomplished. The City
Governmental machinery had been and WAS in
the WAY Of the necessary reforms. The Waiting
Committee, so far, had failed to make susscs-
tiou which was not already contemplated by the
city. and yts not now in course OF coosldera-
ton.
q. NJ. Henderson said he had nothing to add
to the statements OF the Chsir.
MR- OAKLEY,
of New York, OF the Visiting Committee, said he
had not yet had opportunity to thoroughly IN
ycetieate tho condition Of the city and its fire.
defense He was we'll pleased. however, at the
great advances peing uade By the Board OF
Public Works. He was Informed by the Pres
ident of the Board that settled policy
had been agreed upon, aud that the
necessity Of increasing the "ater-suppy
was recognized, and being aa rapidly @
the Board was putting in s-inch water pipe az
the supply pipe. His experience taught him
that Il inch mains we're necessary, and citizens
should not allow the Board to put IN 3 smaller
size as rule The Board OF Underwriters was
q voluntary organization, but it represented
large proportion Of the capital OF the country
invested IN insurance, The Board bad deiberated
tro years over tho condition Of Chicago, and in
advance Of the ire had, from personal obserEa-
ton. contemplated the action recently taken.
New York was not considered as entirely free
from danger By fire, but the Board had persisted
in demanding greater security against he-
Whatever New York enjoved IN the way OF pro-
lection she owed to the Insurance Hoard, aud
xhaterer demands had been made upon Chicago
were no greater than Lad been made upon lis
own State and city.
c. H. coasucK
followed in welcoming the visitors. and in e1-
pressing the opinion tnat Chicago needed ln-
creased fire protection.
HR~ z G. LARSED
followed. He thought that property in Chicago
was to-day safer than it ever VAS. The Visiting
our citizens represented individual capital,
whfch they were IN common anxious to protect
from fire. He thought a great deal bad been
done in perfecting the fre~defense BY increasing
the Watez-aupply- Attention had :. also been
given to the character Of buildings tc be
hereafter erected. and SO great Tas the
general earnestness, that be could not
lee how insurance companies could feel uneasy.
He believed that they ought to share in the re-
:orn,s going On. If they had acted NTH greater
loubt, would hare been far less.
ME. CHASE,
of Hartford. Conn, said he had not had euff-
Gent time here. to be- able TO speak OF
from personal knowledge. He wAs satisfied,
however, from what he had seen and
learned, that the people we're losing no oppor-
tunity to advance the facilities to suppress and
make impossible great conhagFations. From
what he had seen he was satisfied that the busi-
ncss-nen OF the city wire deeply in earnest, and
he believed the result would be that many Of the
Withdrawn companies would ere long be glad to
return. Chicago had never proved profitable
field for insurance companies, but h6 believed
The city WAS at present in better condition
than ever before. He could point to cities in
advance of Chicago in the matter OF tire-de-
Tense, but he would not name them, for fear it
would lead to an endless aud prodtless discus
zion. The object Of the Board was to secure
reasonable protection in its riskg, and the mo-
ment such WAS secured he believed the with
drawn companies would RETURN or many of
them.
By Invitation, said he himself was seeking in-
formation. He had spent the time lie had
passed here in Investigating the condition
Of affairs. He found great deal OF hope in the
personnel Of the Fire Department, and believed
that Chicago would ere long enjoy Department
second to no city In the world. The engines Of
tho city he found to compare favoraby with
those used in other cities.
WATER-woRKs.
Mr. Crane inquired whether the high-pressure
system OF wata1-works would advance the pro-
lection against fires, and whether the Holly
1ystem would not be IN improvement over tho
present.
Mr.. Oakley said he was not prepared to recon-
mend the Holly system, for its introduction al
Ways tended to lessen the supply of auxiliary
detenses. He thought the system used by Chi
ago, when perfected. would prove the best, and
every way superior to any pressure-systom
Ho would earnestly deprecate the substitution Of
my system for that now employed
RESPONSIBILITY OF INSURANCE COMPANIES.
Mr. Drake agreed With Mr. Larued in the
,plnion that insurance companies ought to
'hare IN tile reform Agents had taken risks i'll
liscriminately. AZ proprietor Of the fremont
House, before the tire, he surrounded it with
rety possible protection 1t his own expense,
out, Notwithstanding this, defeuseless bu1ldinra
we're iusuredat equnl rates. He WAS GLAD, how
Hor, to be able to say that ayeuts, since tho
ire. were learning to discriminate.
Mr. Oakley replied that the agents accused OF
he want OF discrimination were the citizens of
Chicago to whom the iuterests Of the insurance
companies had been intrusted. II citizens were
-tw!ndied By the agents. the companies we're also
-rwiadIed.
ar: Houghtelipg did not think that Mr. Oak
ess ideas would hold water. In ordinary busl-
,ess transactions the principal was responsible
ot the acts Of lis apents He cnuld