, 1879-01-24
NEW YORK FIRES.
Efert< 0f tho Nccrnt 1.osAes OF the Local
Firr-tnde rwrilcrs-Increasn OF 1sates Ia
tho Dry-tsoo.l. f,tAtrict-T3le Movement to
E'nfm n Tariff AasotJatton.

fAHfFt4 III NhH NGCFHE gsHBHGA Ok NnH A0CAk
Fire-f' 'nderw rwritnrs-1ncreasn OF natea ID
the 1,ry.too.ls DtAtrict-T'le Movement to
FERN n Tariff Association.
ixtm 1rtt Errni"0 Pat, IAN. 2i.
inquiry was tnAdc to-day In regard to The CT
feet of The recent large fires on the posttton OF
the local insurance rompauics. When q,les-
toned on The subject By reporter Of the Ese,.-
iua I'oxf, gentleman Of lnrgc experience In tile
1teinsurancc business aaid that rates In the
,lry-yoods district had hecn raised from 60 To
1u pr ecntum since the arc In Worth street.
This ADVANCE was over The rates which had
actually been cxactcd within tlic last fcw years,
uni nut over flle old tariff or "stanlard rates,
which ilnd BEEN generally dasrrgardcd. The
uctta! tates had varied greatly. Of courre;
aee,sdtns to the character. Of the stock
nr ''s'hifnas Insured. but tn come cases,
especially where tho smaller, companies
weru concerned, they had lately been
very ,ow indeed: Now the standard rates were
demanded 81: by ail The companies 90 far as he
ran' for lnsurancr had largely increased within
tllc last few days. III thought that the lossca
" ttr late trc* were 40 Inlich scattered that ito
company would fail III consequences Df tllrn,
bnt sone OF the smaIlvr cotnIaulcs had suffered
10 heavily tttat itielr stock,oIless might con-
c1ule to wtntl them I'D. In rcgar,l to concert OF
ariion antou9 the insurance companies IN order
10 diminish the extent uf their risks, he salu
that they showed what they could do, wien
n1trd, s,y t,c sIccchs Of their warfare On uusafc
Aia''sartl roofs utter the great lEe Ia Boston.
There was ~ much cotnpetttion l,ctwecu the
companies, however, tut Il was very difficult to
tct oil nj tir1n to aGt In harmony.
At q large meeting nf the Local nre'uudcr.
writer's ntm,lt fortnight. ago. committee was
appointed to consider pan for forming tariff
nssoeiatnu. trllc Chairman Of the Cnmmi,tre
is Mt. Sict,oins e. Miller, President Of tic Star
Insurance Company. III reply to inquiries THIS
morning hc said that he called the Com1Httt-o
together last saturday, bnt that nothing te1-
mite was determined IN. This movement mad
not hecn clusctl in any war hy tkc recent lnrco
il1rs but was DUE 10 tile Ccncrnl decentralization
Of rates md strong feeling among insurance
men tut the tnpanics must co:nblnc III ur,er
t. srcuro safe mil profitable business.
The d!tllcully In the way Of q successful uuton
Of this sort was the fact that, whiln
o,ln.rr, oarh wanted 10 i,e left out it.clt,
aIM he at liberty t0 make lts own rates. Frcyt-
Gus combinations had nut 1astcd because some
OF the companies were not true to the others,
pledged To adhere. II they dill not sfnk their
differences ui,1 t,nite cl1,nlon bas!s OF rites
,hts inonth, they would not do 50 this ycar, anu
~ tllat eyent. hc 1slteynt' some Of them would
Mr.. Miller said ttut The course Of tic tusur-
aucc eulnlanits In ratius tho city In 1872, utter
the Ercat fire In Boston, bad accomplished far
,nore Tor the protection ot pr"perty agsln,t
ing 'aT " sha'r;nS e1tfa pre-
Inc companies AlfucR sh0 poekets OF
owhcrs. and u.rrcby. secured many needed Iu,-
pruypn,ents. Tho plats ot H,ally buiduE8 tiscu
in course u! erection were changed u conform
to the insurance requirements, and alterations
fur safety were linde III other struci urcs, which
Ind t,ctn SUPPOSED " hu complete. Sir. Miller
eutd liIat lH believed tie tiEu ia Worth atEeet
could tot hutc uccu rl!eckcl where u was but
for tic attentions 10 the roofs which were Sc
cured ycars aeo by Tue Insurance companies.
AZ 10 the recent advance In ratrs Id thu dry
gnuds district, lis said tlut tsH thought In most
cases they did nut exceed 80 per rcpturn, as tho
companies mud not previously lowered the rnteg
III tllat part Of the city to the snsno extent as In
other parts.
This nontil, Nj. Miller said, had been Us d.s-
nstruls Ia thu Insurance. companies as any GU
record, except the months ot tile great fires In
Chicago a,nl bos.on. Flrca involving hcary
us1cs had occurred al over the country, ntlli lii
alI cltsses uf .ptoptrty, Including MI unusual
nutnber IT dwelling huuses l,ni churches. Tie
late rcs In HEt'adway Anl Worth streets had
ta;tn tnt'fe money from Tho insurance. ct'npa-
Dics t!Ian a!l thr llfcs which took place In tlla
ely during the years I5ss7 and 1878.
lr. Clinton, President of The Euse Insurance
COMPANY. "ns appointed one of til. Committee
10 rss'slue ioF ntarisT association. When .pokeu
w,tn OH tim subject to.lay l,s salt that lie Ind
Icrllntli to srrye the Committee, ID tllr nth
tli!u uf Al5 Company toward combinations
woah nut lerntt HIN consistently to scrre
In That capacity. Ills Company did not alopt
unns 1t l.ad suffered by ndliesny 10 It's pledges,
while fni,e tI!et cumpaHlts ha1 bccn ful4u to
tlwlr ubli.atlans, In VI, underhanl way, nlnl
hrrcby inrrcaset! their business. Theoretically
he was III favor VI tIriil association, thu icss,-
t.srt NJ which wol'i maintntn good fath, but 1o
,lhl M. SEQ how unu could ba sgcurea. Tile
trouble was u luck of honesty urtone solne of
the companies. Standard rates wcra nov
charged ~ tue tlFy-G,oo'is dlssrlrt, but thrrs
utls aEaisl VI suon rs LIE pEcscut scrc WA uYuE.