, 1875-10-10

tension Of the Are-limits after the great fir
of 1871, and again after the fire of the SUN
mer Of 1874, when the fire-lmits wero mnd.
co-c1tensive with the city-hmits, was partly
| selfish and partly sentimental. The selfish
part Of it cane from apecu}ators in outside
property who desired to increase its present
value by the rapid construction Of cheap
houses, whereby it was thought that it could
be made g residence locality more quickly
| than otherwise. The sentimental part Of il
| came from those who ostentatiously spoke for
| the "poor man." and insisted that ha should
have the right to endanger the whole city by
setting up cheap frame shanties on wooden
pins. The experience Of the past year has
completely demonstrated the falsity of both
phases Of the opposition to the general FIRE.
ordinance. Without consulting comparative
building statistics, We think We may safe
" assert that thera hes never Eoen q
year during which SO large a number Of
dwellings, accommodating 30 large u number
Of people, have been erected. Of the 1880
or 1900 structures built within year, the
great bulk were either dwelling -houses, or
dwellings and stores combined. But the un-
usually large number Of new buildings is not
the only evidence thst the fre~ordinance has
been no hardship. Rents are much cheaper:
4 good brick house eau now be rented for
about the same price as, and frequently for
much less than, frame house two years ago.
The substitution of brick for wcod is eco
nonical in variety Of ways. Men are willing
to invest their money in houses who pre-
ferred to use it in some other way under the
old system, for the Investment is safer than
it was before. The danger Of destruction by
fire. is decreasing with every year aud every
month, Every solid hrick house that is
erected is practically new dre-wall The
result is that fires are deere asing in numbers,
and vory materially in tho amount Of
property destroyed. Insurance rates ara very
much lower, aud the value Of insurance pol
,cies largely enhanced by the increased prob
ability Of their being paid in case Of loss.
The cost OF repairs is considerably losseued.
and the value Of the buildings more perma-
nent and uniform. 4 brick house that has
stood fve yea1s is worth about as much as
when it was first constructed, If the cost
Of material and labor remain the same,
while frame housa five years old has hardly
half the value Of its Original cost. Finally,
it has been ascertained that the cost Of brick
houses may be kept within 10 per cent more
thnn the cost Of wooden houses Of the same
size. These arc some of tha reasons
why there has boen go much building
during the past year. There will be
still more building in the future in proper
ton to the prosperity and increase Of buai-
ness and population, because capitalists have
learned to content themselves with lower in
terest on their Investments in consideration
Of grcater security. All these tendencies are
vital helps to the steady growth Of Chicago,
with which every resident, whether rich or
poor, capitalist or laborer, is fully identified.
In the face Of this experience, it is not likely
that there will ever again be an important
agitation for return to the old and fatal sys-
tenn Of building frame houses. Every change
in the future will be in tho direction of in
creased protection from fire as dictated By
economic considerations.