New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-21
FIRE INSURANCE RISKS IN ST LOUIS

BAD BUILDING LAWS, LACK OF WATER AND AN
INEFFICIENT FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The question of advancing the rates at which
the various fire insurance companies Will insure prop
ery In Ct Louis receiving renewed attention az the
hands of fire underwriters asserted that the made
ouacy of the Fire Department the insufficient supply Of
water and bad building laws In ST. Louis have forced the
companies take action in order to protect themselves
A committee composed Of the managers OF the Western
departments Of the various insurance companies now
holding meeting in 81 Louis, and it Is expected that
an advance OF rates will soon be adopted
f. A. Walton vice president Of the Citizens Insurance
Company said yesterday:
The losses by have been enormous in st. LOus
past few years that 1t has brought loss on al the
companies doing business there. We have done business
there twenty years ana have received IN premiums
net about 100000 that time; losses have been
about SlO5 900 There Ii no confidence among Us IN the
Fire Department there; 1t is not well managed. Then
is sufficient water supply and there IL not
proper ire regard TO the Instruction OF buildings.
They few good buildings such find here and I'm
Boston and Chicago. IL Is simply question for the
OF st. Louis whether they Will put everything III
good order and keep the rates down. o. reduce the nun
Der OF companies and increase the rates.
John W Murray vice-presideut Of The German-AIneri
can Company, said
ST. Louis has not been profitable field tor agency
companies for forty years Our ratio OF loss theis has
that expenses average thirty three per cent for
twelve ears and have ninety six per cent leaving
fou per cent profit for the whole time which would not
be sufficient 10 reinsHe the present OUTSTANDING
premium liability Of the company We have moro total
II. Luls tndu az any Othtl pOu~ attribute
the disastrous fires there to an ineent FIRE Department
the loose building laws, aud lack of sufficient water pres
William r. Croweu vice-pr, sident OF the Phoenix In
surance Company, SAID
There has been much talk among different companies
about the poor and inefficient Fire Department. made
1uate wafer supply and Cxecrablc building laws OF IT,
louis and know that the rates Of insurance have been
advanced at different time. and beIeve that many
companies have he doing business there at loss
was told while IN the South recently, that Insurance
rates risks In e. Louis had been advanced POO
per cent AT jump.
y ". Meserole. secretary OF the Williamsburg City
Insurance Company, said:
The percentage OF loss there has been very high.
The great defect has been the inferior construction or
buildings and the parsimOuious which the Fire
Department has teen rum and the ceucy OF lts chief
st Louis Is unwilling 70 adopt the best and most i'm
proved appliances FOR oXtinguisng fire. We have mad
exceptional experience there For 1888 our losses
were ten per cent on premiums. Our LOSSES fOr
twelve years have averaged about Ory three per cent
Tor gross premiums. We have made money IN 81 LOUIS
spite OF the fact that the average experience % almost
al other companies shows loss