Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-11
INVESTIGATORS INVESTIGATING.

vance in insurance rates in Minneapolis
| was held in the council chamber yesterday
afternoon.
MANAGER M'CORD
was absent, but communicated a letter
which was not read for some reason.
Capt. o. G. Merriman called the
meeting to order in a short statement OF
the contemplated business of the session
and closed by extending an invitation tc
any interested gentleman to address the
meeting.
Mai. Hale stated that he had called upor
Col. McCord to request his attendance al
| the present session.
The latter explainedithat he was in no way
responsible for the advance in rates which
had been made by the eastern commits
sioner of the board. He assured the COM
mittee that although
HE WOULD NOT ATTEND
the meetings, just SO fast as the facilities
in the way of water supply shall have be-
vanced rates be taken off.
After remarks of general nature re
lating to the water supply and the fire ap
paratus, Mr.. Joel Bassett asked that thu
agents come forward and be specific
They have charged that the facilities are
defective. Now it is only necessary fol
the agents to prove their case. He asked
them to establish one case where a disas
trous fire was the fault of the city or the
department.
| Mr.. Stone answered that he did not think
it fair question. The companies have
no one here to investigate these things
In Eastern cities the companies do have
men erp ployed for that very purpose.
! Mr.. Bassett-You have said we have no
steamers enough to put out fire; you have
said we have not mains enough, nor hose
enough; now prove it.
| Mr.. Stone-If have sale
it, that is enough. Let me say
that is not my object. want to arrive al
the fault so that We may get this 25 pei
csat. rescinded."
| POUNDING WATER MAINS.
| John Delsittre reiterated his old charges
that the cause of the Syndicate block
fire was that a gate was shut and the
water supply shut off. If the
city wants the taxpayers and people to
dig. up that river aud find out what i:
wrong we are ready aud willing to do it
The insurance companies have had cause
to put on this increase. The insurance
| companies alleged that the city needed
more steamers, and the city council ha;
acknowledged the correctness OF the allie
cation by purchasing two more engines
They did not purchase them because the
| insurance companies demanded it but be.
| cause they knew the engines were needed
RIDING HOBBY.
Again Mr.. Hale reported, ''there is moi
water enough and the mains are not large
enough"
Mr.. Stone--What we want to do is to gel
| this twenty-five per cent. taken off.
Mr.. Chairman-Not only that, but We
want to get the old rates reduced about
| twenty five per cent.
Mr.. Stone acknowledged the correction
To reduce rates is the one object. He be-
| lieved it true that some of the facts claimed
| by the companies did not exist, but never
theless it Is evident that some of the de-
fects actually exist, and it is only natura
| to assume that they can be remedied. TIC
| remedy them is the reasonable way to BE-
/ cure the desired reduction. The losses ir
Minneapolis have been heavier than those
in st. Paul. AS far as the agents are con
cerned, they have no ready neana of de
termining the comparative losses.
Anthony Kelly called attention
to large number of verJ
disastrous losses suffered in st. Paul.
LACK OF CONFIDENCE.
Mr.. Stone replied that chief had beer
placed at the head of the fire department
who commanded the confidence of the in
surance companies. 1t is delicate quss
ton and may be unjust but here we should
| be frank. The insurance companies have
written to their Minneapolis agents ex
pressing lack of confidence in our chief
There is where much of the trouble lies.
A CHARGE.
John DeLattre undertook , to say thu
chief should not be blamed for the fires
He made the specific charge that no chie1
in the world can extinguish fires with oul
facilities. He charged the blame upor
| the waterworks system. The mains are
not large enough. A six inch
main is inadequate and should
not be used. There is disposition tc
| throw the blame upon one man. The
blame is in the water mains. The syndi-
| cate think large main should be laid
and they are entitled to it. If this policy
is pursued, people will stop erecting
large blocks and build small,
one story shanties. The system
of mains as laid out only
provides inadequate mains.
Mr.. Stone wanted to explain his crit
icism Of the chief of the fire department
He thought a serious criticism was unwar
ranted until the chief has frst-class facili-
| ties at his disposal.
WATER SUPPLY.
The chairman then announced that thu
session this afternoon will be devoted tt
investigating the water supply, the system
the pipes as laid and all the matters ap
pertaining to the facilities for extinguish
ing fires.
Mayor Ames arose to tender the commit
tee the use of all charts, diagrams and
plans in the possession of the waite
board.
E. McDermott believed the committee
was working on the wrong tack. He oitet
the various fires before mentioned to shov
that the water supply was deficient. 81
advocated the use of stand pipes. b.
spoke of the duty of the man employed b.
the city to attend to turning the gates dur
ing a fire. He charged that the trouble
loid hatuaar the fra daparfmant and tn