The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-06-14
A Queer Idea about u Fire Depart
ment


To the Editor Of the HERALp:
l notice with surprise that so usually well
informed Journal as the Fort Worth Dem
corat, referring to late fire in Fort Worth,in
It's issue Of June 18th should make such erro-
neous and nihilistic comments as the follow.
ing; "rhe Iusurance) companies declined
to entertain any proposition to compensate
the fremen, and the result is that the "boys"
must go on lighting the fires for glory, ruin
ing their clothes, ieopardizing their lives or
let the cotton burn. The Democrat does
not know what views the department will
take of the matter, but our advice is to let
IL burn"
The editor is surely not posted on the aim
or intent of the Fire department, or the
bearing of a fire insurance contract. A
little investigation would satisfy him that a
lire department is not created to make salvage
at tho expense of the insurance companies
or s'y one ele. 1t is intended TO protect
property whether belonging to corporation
or an individual. 1t is certainly queer why
the supposed property of an insurance COM
pany should be singled out to extracts little
salvage from, and the property of everyone
else 60 ''scot free" A reputable ia sursnce
company is nothing but an association of
number of reputable individuals, and If com
panies are to be assessed on their property
to pay off the boys say, Nv. Eiitor, let
the..scales be equally drawn and everybody be
forced to come up and do likewise.
In the second place, it is q legal and equit.
able feet that no fire insurance company
ever owned a bale OF cotton, or any other
piece Of property, in Fort Worth. Who
ever heard OF an insurance policy being q
medium of exchange, which, laying dormant
until the tap of an alarm bell, should then
suddenly transfer to the insurance company
any or all property which it insures at or
| near by where a fire should break out?
Without referring to the law books, the
reading of any fire insurance policy will
satisfy any reasonable man that an insurance
company never has shadow of owner
ship In the property which 1t insures, but
only agrees to pay to the owner what
has been absolutely lost, whether partial or
total. So if the "boys" should want the
| insurance companies to pay for their dirty
clothes. and for what they have saved they
are on the wrong trail.
Again, MIR. Editor the Democrats supges
ton is unjust to the business men of For,
| Worth who are paying FIRE insurance pre-
miums. Every one knows, or should know,
that the rates of insurance in any town OF
city are apportioned on the receipts and ex
pendilures in that town or city. As water
seeks its level, so have the rates OF premium
through competition and other causes been
forced down to basis that is strictly fair to
the assured.
Companies are satisfied with very small
n argin of profit, but they don't do business
for glory. Small fire loses and expense;
reduce taxes to a very low figure, and vice
versa. So if even for suppositious argu-
ment, companies are forced 10 pay salvases
on other peoples property in Fort Worth
which is not at all probable, would it be .
very lard conclusion to reach "who would
foot the bill 10 the long rum" HALIFAX.