Daily Republican., 1885-05-15
ma In.ur.nce Business.

Il Is becoming evident that fire under
writer's and insurance companies Wall
be compelled to increase their rates OF
insurance owing to the increased num-
her of fires from other causes than the |
torch of the incendiary. Already havel
Insurance rates been increased In many
Of the best companies, causing general
complaint amongst those who insure.
It Is not encouraging to see these rates
20 up, but owing to the tendency OF the
dimes 1t Is difficult TO see how insurance
can protect themselves
against the increased risks OF loss by
the modern plan Of building houses.
For o number of years the tendency OF
the times was towards cheaper rates OF
insurance, but during the last decade
statistics show that there has been q
great increase in the number OF fires,
and great increase in the causes OF
fire. It is indisputable that especially
| in large cities Are risks have increased
very rapidly. This Is due to quite q
large number Of causes.
In large cities like New York Boston,
Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Baltimore,
the great tendency in building Is to run
| up seven and eight, and In many in
stances ten stories In height Such
buildings cannot fail to be much more
dangerous and more liable to confiagrs-
ton than lower houses and consequent
ly insurance rates must be put up ta
meet the increased risks. Elevators
Iare required in these high houses
which in cases o. Are serve as fues tt
fan the flames and spread the fire.
Again these high houses take in grea
many tenants, each Of then, having tw'
or three stoves and number of coal-oi
lamps. When fire breaks out in sucl
houses, their great height prevents tn
Ifre.engines from doing effective work
and to add to this Is the rapid and wild
I spread introduction of coal oil, the lat
ter especially being fruitful source
Il confagrations and many OF which ar
y the result of the careless handling q
this conclusive material. Bat thes
). are not all the increased risks that hav
= to be met. Added to all is defcien
= water supply and an inadequate fire OK
:. Iparatus. More powerful engines vii
be required to throw streams of waite
;. 10 the top of q ton story building i
= suoh quantities as to put out fires tina
have gained Roadway. The truth
:, the matter is the preventive means hav
not kept pace with the rapid increase
Il the causes of fire. 1t is not difficult
:, see that under these circumstances tn
- losses from fire have increased steadil
until now they amount to about Sll0
loco, 900 annually in this country an
- the volume OF loss is steadily increasing
While thisis felt TO be hardship 1t ca
4, nevertheless be regarded as precar
: tionary measure adopted out OF nece
sity. Fire insurance companies mu
:. place their rates at such figures as to IL
- sure against loss without loss TO then
: I'll selves, and any insurance that does NJ
y do this is no insurance at all. Nobod
: wants an insurance that fails in Il
= hour Of adversely, no matter how chea
such insurance may be. For comp
9 MES to insure at loss to themselves,
>; to call down misfortune upon the i
- sured and insurer, thereto re it must
conceded that increased rates of inst
+e- snce, however much they are TO lie
--~t.A5 a-a nAuarthaleas Unsuitable.
Us HAD the City Council have shown
ire much Of disposition to be impartial
to the appointment Of election inspectt
for to fill vacancies to hold the City ell
IN ton, as the Legislature did when it di
we ded the city into 26 districts, they wor
he have elected a Republican for inspec
Try of the Eighth district, Fourth ward
we At the city election last June, a /
~. publican inspector for the Eighth ell
tie, ton district, Fourth ward, was elect
lsh by % majority, and at the State elect
lch last November the Republicans CARR
Urn the district by seven majority
nd Blaine. A desire for fairness shot
of have prompted the majority in the c
as Council to have elected Republic
ted inspector OF the district.