Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-01
POOR OLD GALVESTON.
The Insurance Companies ClamOr for n
Great Increase In Rates on
All Property.
Tho Fire Department Declared to Be Ma
Good, tho water-works II Fraud and
the Risk Too Great.

special 10 the Gazette.
GALVESTON, TEX, Nov. 30,-0no of
the seyereat penalties of the big fire has
Just been inflicted on those whose prop
erty did not burn, by an increase OF 50per
cent. In the rate OF insurance on frame
dwellings, which class OF houses may be
said to comprise the entire residence
portions OF the city, with the exception OF
dozen or so of brick residences.
IL seems that no sooner had the horde
of adusters reached the stricken city than
they set up an almost unanimous cry for
higher rates. The idea seemed to be
that lnasmuch as Galveston had caused
their companies 10 sustain heavy losses,
why, poor Galveston must make up that
loss to them, otherwise certain big com
pauies threatened 10 lcnpc the state. 1t
is Il noticeable fact that some Of the
smallest losing companies are doing thu
loudcst crying.
List Saturday the state board Of under
writer's recommended 10 the local board
an increase of 30 coats per 300 on the
basis rate for frame dwellings. This was
the minimum recommendation OF the
state board which, IN all previous in
stances, have been adopted by local
boards. In this instance the local bonrd,
spurred on by presence Of some twenty
brow-beatlng adiustcrs, oyer-shot the
mark In the opinion OF many
and rasld the minimum rec
ommcndation of the state board
cool 3 cents on the 500 by adopting
the following high tariff OF premiums
Frame dwellings and contents, the old
basls was one dollar on the hundred, the
state board recommended 81 SO, the local
board adopted Sl60, Frame dwell
nps with nre-proof roofs, basis
INA increased IRON 90 cents TO
stD5. Brick dwellings with IRE
nroof roofs, increased from rs cents
/ In 90 Brick dwellings with wooden
roofs increased from si'oo 10 . ,oo'
Brick mercantile risks Increased from
81 so to Sl75, while the premium on
| frame business houses Is increase
les per cent. Such astounding
rates Of insurance never before pre-
vailed In community as large as HaiNeh,
ton, with 30, 600 inhabitants, win a.palu
/ Gre department, aud with waUtr-worKs'
The underwriters raised these rates III
secret session, wherein each memper was
pledged not 20 diyulge the causes cue
I'm their SuppOtta secret NHN"H0'"" ~
fire department was ridlculed as q mere
sham. It's membership, they said, com
prispd good many men, Including inc
rhlef. who were wont 10 spend too much
tlne In bepr-sal0ons The water-works
yero pronounced fraud, they never
would squirt when II was most neecueni
ana one Insurance man declared they
were simply built 20 deiaud the
Civ. etc. These are the eh-
cnscs which the local board sought 10
qiye Tor submitting to the threats OF me
bnll.dozing adjustrr,, who declared my
would advise their companies TO qult
Texas II the rates were not immehiaoly
raised. Among those companies "hose
travelling repres, natives are known 70 nc
concentrating advising their principals
~ Withdraw IRON Texas are the NORM
America. the .Etna OF Hartford voc
Hartford, the Royal, the London ana
Lancashire, and several others ieAas
has proyen poor feeding grounl lor
sorue of these sleek corporations lnoy
Want 10 get out, but hate TO quit so inucn
loser.