, 1874-10-01
Lottcr from tho General Mana"
ger Of tho Royal CANA
dim Insurance
Company.
Suggestions for the Prevention
and Extinction Of
Fires.
SoElo Of The Reforms Needed in
Our PreGcnt Fire
i. System'
4 Discussion OF tho Demands Of Tho
National noard OF Un0or-
writers,
10 Politics in 0ur fire Department. Cur
Fire Apparatus Teo Heavy.
Underground Tanks---Leather vs.. Rub-
her tiosc---T|1o LUMBER
Yards.
How Efre1acn Should Sc TroAtct,,
and How They Should
30 Drilled.
4 Discussion OF tho Demands Of Tho
National noaTl OF Under
writers,
Underground Tanks---Leather vs.. f1ub-
bet Hosc---1hc LUMBER
Yards.
How Efre1acn Should Sc TroAtod,
and How They Should
80 Drilled.

and How They Should
30 Drilled,
Chicago, ssnt. 20, 1874.
70 The Editor Of The Cnicrgo 1t7oHne:
SIN: Permit rue, although personally IN on.
tfro stranger to you and your citizcua got ~ ono
conrerBant NTH tho existing state Of affairs GO far
Us Represented by Tho National Board Of unaor-
uri!oss, and tho question now 60 prominently
before tho pnblic,-I NOM your Firo Depart
mont nn1 watcr-supply, PLACE before you d
fow suggestions that nlay 90 far to bring Rbout
q remedy Of come practical uae. Il ID not my
intention to cntor into my lengthy remarks iu
regard to tho attitude assumed By the National
Doard of Undoewlitcra in tho City Of Nov York
In advising tho withdrawal Of all companies
working nulor thoir Jurisdiction. NY desiro Is
moro 10 point out what. in my opinion, 1sould
lead to
4 JUST AND FEASIBLE MODE
Of arriving ct tho prevention Of tho frequent
and dlEaatrous frca iu rour city, aud to haso tho
business Of uudcl writing 1nado profitable. l
have read aud studied much that has been pub
lshcd in tho several insurance tour,ln.s, as veil
rs that published III your columns in regard to
tho Chicago insurance business md tho Fire and
Water Departments. and em prepared to admit
that tho Board Of Underwriters hNvn good and
tangible grounds to Justify their necessity for
action, cannot close my oycs TO the fact tint
Chicago hn0 also claimB to put forward aud exact
from tlo underwriters that tho Board rop-
resouts.
Tho theory Of insurance Is generally veil
understood. I ncol not enter into
discussion OF any question bearing on this, but
will assume tint tho National Doara, in arguing
tho withdrawal OF insurance companies. aro
g1,idel entirely by their anxiety to protent t1,n
interest Of their atockholdors,-a uoint that nil
will admit is fair and Legitimate. The question
NOW comes mp, Have tho companies represented
done on their part all that can bo fairly Do
1Edcd By the City Of ChicaSo,-not only uhat
is due the aesurod, but also the insured1 In con-
ycraation with Foreman Of tho Fire Brigade, I
was mort forcibly struck with ono ramarls ho
made, III tho following language: "Insurapco
companies avo aa mitch. II not moro.
to blame for the existing state of
cfEairs, rs tho civic authortica. Why, sir,
load OF n1atch-wood cannot 70 up tho
street without being followed by person ropro-
aenting I'LL insurance ofllce, to obtain risk on
it," lgntllcred from your own columns state
ment that, rle1o tho tlro originated OIL tho l4th
goods On the premises to represent one-half tho
amount covered by the policy On them. neetl
not Kay that thls h!ate Of things ID sure to load
to destruction Of property, which must ba Ut
tributed solely to tho unxiety to do business on
the part OF those rho now complain that all is
defective. and WHO, in consequence, recommend
tho Withdrawal VI taeir companies. ulola to
bring
4 Reform IN TiiIs DIRECTION
Wonld 70, that companies should not pay COM
II
result, ou: Bhonld solect careful man, aud pay
him nil annual salary That would ouable him to
lire comfortably, and then slight commission
on tue profit Ut tho business. Were this tho
continue insurnG property osor or noar ita
m1rket-Ta1uo.
from what had heard and read abort tho
Llro department. or Jour city. I lad Elonght
that 1t would be hopeless task to cnlnavor to
bring about q jndiciouu rsform aud discipline in
tho Fira-DriEaIe organization, as cxr.ectod to
find 1t full of men whose ony qualification was.
that they were politicians Tho National Board
seems slao to bs carried Away with this iden, aa
arc mnny OF your merchants. We'll, sir, haye
spent tIlo whole Of QUO night anil uoyeral hours
during the day to got at the truth OF tins matter.
] entered tue frc-Ntation perfect stranger, aul
unaccompancd. l got into conversation will.
ono or more OF the mon At ench station. Ital!s-
oil to then, as a1, old fireman, md Hoon found
myself perfect!y at eaae putting questions thnt
might bring out what mas dcsirous Of knowing.
III elosen stations found but ona Individual
who said that politicians had the slshtost thing
to ao in Tho matter. In closer quostioniu. thia
mombcr, hc failed to make out single caae
nhero kpolltlca put man In tho force, to its
detriment. Ono ulan-1 believe Foyotunp--
stated no was nino years anu eloyon mouths In
the folce, and had never yotcd. or bccn sskod to
do 10. by any one oyor lin, or connected with
the Fire Conan!laHon or Corporation Ono man
bari voted once, another three tiuos; all ronu-
datal the idoa OF tho Department being lofact.
I've or impaired in its mosonlont BY ally politi-
cnl association. Deiug Satisfied boyoud tho
slightest donut TINT there IL N
NO GROUND FoR THE pEL1EF
That politics are introduced into tho Firo m.
partmcllt, leave thiB question, aud toa! with
tie Depanmens %, on It's inertia In tho ilrnt
Department. IL enormous, and moro than would
that ouia make 1t almost beyond possiIility isii
for Chicago to 30 again curaetl by ilrcs Of liz
fow years. t!nd nearly ail tLo apparatus in uue
too heavy aud cumbersome; ii faos, eyery
machine or appliance IL made to tlrht Iarroo
1lro' There III bntune iaoa, and tAst il lnrSa
fites: tl.a n1othns but large b.eam tlro.en
1t IL expected to draw tleae to lvo in goi,o IN.
stances throe~1uartera of milo, and ho tiora =,
time to cxtIngush a ilro GRO II conI,i inv "
in*do any aenons Roadway: To mo lho thins
eorts spd e 10 Aose on as5p@ aHspossby TLo
heavy Ia proportion to tho requirements tham is
to unN!edy engine Tho ongipo IL se 'Hs 10 ,,;sa ~
charge from 500 to 400 gallons Of water por r. mn. @
caEo In the July llro, 1t lad io drnw II Z. wa to
from Singh water.plpo, There wouJd dH't1,.S faxSo
been as much senso IN feoding IN olenhan. f,n,o
toaHpoon as to have expected otAer lssns ua tr.a
what i9'towo. 70 .',, Tho r4ter-proasuro on tho tho
catu 95 ponnau. nhereit ought 10 Lave riya ,u IN
putll,tla Wita any bffoctya reAuit tn h. w. ~"
from it, mud tho two extremes meet 'H # !. onne nns
!. |nc"E n sa TI1E @ ACTUAL ngronA MUST M Mhpr.
on. Not only Ia tic macI,its uscics" 70 ttopsaeo to
Email lre hat to centenl with iarre o. on vus vora
1tL!a batlor The hooE-a,ll. trun,, nn", 'esY
hcayy, aud cannot be brought on lhe aro,,n 1fa r.