Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-02
THE FIRE ALARM BILL.
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graph in Nashville, passed 10th Boards OF
the CITY Council last week on third read
inc. and that it only awaited the signature
of the Mayor to become a law. When it
was discussed in the Board of Common
Council. a member of that body urged the
propriety of calling upon the insurance
companies doing business in Nashville 10
a a portion Of the expense TO be
incurred in the erection of this fire
alarm, claiming that said companies
would be largely benefited thereby. III
view of the question was shared py the
Mayor, and when the bill came 10 MS
hands for approval, he postponed action
thereon, and last Monday addressed 10 the
Board of Underwriters, in this city, the
following communication;
MAYORS OFFICE, NASHVILLE, Tenn;
March 80, 1ST4-Hon. VIM. A. webb,
Secretary Board Underwriters-Dear Sir:
L desire to call your attention, ana through
you, the attention of Board OF Under
writers, of Nashville, to what is termed
the Sire Alarm Telegraph" for the city Of
Nashville.
The City Council of Nashville has
a law by which they appropriate Sz2,5OO
for the purpose of securing said system OF
telegraph to the city. l will say that |
am in favor of said system, and have ever
advocated the same, and with me it is only
a matter of finance, or the pecuniary ability
of the city tn establish such system at such
a price.
With all due respect, permit me TO say to
the honorable Board of Underwriters, that
if the system is a good one, that, in my
opinion, it would be greatly advantageous to
said Board, and if so, considering the
great financial embarrassment Under which
the city is now lsbOring, could not your
Board agree to assist the corporation in pay
ING for a certain portion of said fire alarm
system? That is to say, out of the S22,5OO,
would not the Board of Underwriters agree,
and at once pay into the hands of the city
Treasurer, the sum of $1,000 Which will
be at once applied to the part payment to
Messrs. Gamewell & Co. Unless some
arrangement of this kind can be made, |
must confess, l cannot see how the city can
stand TO pay the full amount under its present
embarrassed condition. III you will con-
vene the Board and submit the question to
them, and let me know their decision, you
will greatly oblige, yours respectfully,
THOs. A. KERCHEvAL, Mayor.
\ meeting of the Board of Underwriters
being held that day, at which were present
Messrs. Claiborne, Gale, Thomas, Nelson
and Webb, the Mayors communication was
acted upon Immediately, and the following
answer made by Messrs. Webb and Gale,
who were appointed a COMMITTEES to pre-
sent the views held by the insurance men
Of the city with reference to the PROPOSE
ton:
NASHVILLE, TENN, March 81, 1ST4.-
Hon. Thos. 4. Kercheval-Dear Sir: At a
meeting of the Nashville Board of under
writers held yesterday, the undersigned
were appointed a committee TO draft a reply
to your communication respecting the Fire
Alarm Telegraph system.
In ~rsuan of that duty we beg to say
that most of the members of this Board are
representatives of companies having their
head Offices in other places, and as such,
they have no authority to pledge their COM
panies to the payment of any money for the
purpose named. They would, however,
be willing to report the question to their
respective companies, if they were not fully
persuaded that any such reference would
be useless.
Similar requests to this have been made
by them and in every instance the compa-
MES have replied, that their business is not
TO interfere with the local facilities for ex-
tinguishing fires but to charge for the haz-
ard as they find it.
AWe feel satisfied that the proposed sys-
ten. if adopted, will be of great advantage
to the city aud We have no doubt that its
adoption will be followed by a substantial
reduction in the present rates of insurance.
Very respectfully,
WIN. a. Webb, W. D. Gale,
Committee.
The Mayor stated to n Of our reporters
Yesterday evening that he could not favor
the proposition for the city TO go deeper in
debt than she is now, and intimated that,
failing in securing aid from the insurance
companies, he would veto the bill.
WHAT THE INSURANCE MEN Jay.
DESTROYS OF learning the views of the in
surance men relative TO the fire alarm BUSH
ness, our reporter visited a number of these
gentlemen at their offices yesterday. He
found that they were all decidedly
in favor of the erection Of a
fire alarm telegraph in the city,
were perfectly willing to pay their share of
the tax proposed to be assessed, but they
failed to see wherein the insurance compa-
MES would be benefited by said improve
ment. To he sure their hazard would be
decreased, but the amount of insurance
would also be materially diminished after
the system got in working order. They all
admitted that their rates of insurance would
be decreased to a very considerable amount,
and said that many small property holders
would cease to insure their property, rely
ing solely upon the fire department for pro
lection.
The insurance agents doing business in
Nashville say they are heavily taxed now,
and cannot entertain for a moment a prop
osition to increase that taxation without a
corresponding benefit. Each company do
ing business here is taxed SHOP per annum
by the city. 1925 by the county, and the
State exacts q further tax of two n a half
per cent. on premiums. In addition to this,
they pay the State Treasurer the following
fees and allowances.
For filing copy of charter or deed of set
Element. .SlO W
For filing annual statement. ........... 25 90
For filing any additional or supplemental
statement. ~
For each certificate Of authority issuedby
him ~
For seal of office with certifcate ......... 1 90
For copies of any paper or file on deposit
IN MS ~
There are thirty-fve companies in Nash
vile, and among these the insurance on less
than half the property in the city must be
divided, and when the running Office ex-
penses, taxes, ETC., are taken into consider
alton. it will be seen that the business does
not return such enormous profits as might
be supposed. One company paid taxes
last week to the amount of 81, 191. One
$500. - al H. -.Es-