New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-29
THE pEVOURING ELEMENT.
WHAT RIG PILE OF BOXES MAY DO SOME
DAY.
OPPOSITION TO COMBINATION AMONG INsUR
DURING THE LAST YEAR-THE
UNEQUAL TARIFFS

UNEQUAL TARIFFS
Just north of the Grand-st station of the
elevated road in South Fifth-ave, in wide
recess 'between the walls of half dozen tall
buildings, there is pile OF drygoods boxes and
empty packing high as TO reach almost
10 the caves of the adjacent structures There
are more boxes in the pile at certain times than
at others, but there are hundreds of them always.
These boxes are made Of seasoned pine. as light
as paper and inflammable as finder. They are
in the oper air. and almost in direct contact
with the buildings on three sides of them. Wide
crevices between the boxes afford uneXceptionablc
facilities for sundry cats and kittens to amuse
themselves in the innocent gambols incident to the
sport of hide and SEEK dear TO the feline heart
Passengers on the elevated trains, rs they look
upward from the car windows trying to see the
top of the pileoare often heard TO wonder what
would happen should fire start in that enormous
pile. 1t does not require a hard stretch of the
IMAGINATION 10 see little tongues of fame fash
ing through the crcvces between those boxes nor
10 see the entire pile wrapped in sheet Of flame
that could not fail TO envelope hundreds of thou
sands of dollars worth of surrounding property.
4 well-known official of great fire insurance
company coming down town on train the
other morning. and Just as Grand-st was ap-
and glance at the pile of boxes. which seemed
bigger and higher than ever.
HOW BIG FIRE MIGHT START.
Egad," said he, what fire that pile of
boxes would make Why there's enough kindling
there to burn down the entire drygoodS section
Of the city"
This remark addressed TO a Tribune reporter
who occupied an adjoining seat, and it led TO
some interesting talk on insurance matters in
general, which continued until long after
the Office of the officials company was reached
II was more than likely, the gentleman said as the
conversation about the great finder pile continued
that insurance rates We're higher in the immediate
neighborhood OF those boxes than anywhere else
in the city. The city authorities. said he
permit them TO remain there, constant menace
70 the valuable properties around them, but they
would refuse 10 permit the erection there.
anywhere else. of any kind of n building of an
equally combuStihle nature There is no calcu-
lating the destruction that might follow the
ignition Of that pile of kndlne. | have noticed
that there is a quantity Of loose paper lying
around among the boxes. and il might require
but the dropping of lighted cigarette a match
a spark from locomotive or the application Of
incendiarys Qtorch to start a confiagration
there.
men there are only two kinds Of fires? I'll tell
you-one is the simple every day, or every
night, common sort of FIRE that destroys or only
damages single building and its contents, and
the other is a confagratiOn that makes the COM
panies look over their assets and surplus with
some degree of nervousness. Now, that pile OF
boxes might start a CONFEDERATION great enough to
wipe out the surplus assets and capital of some
Of the strongest companies whose risks are cX-
tensvely placed among the big wholesale and
manufacturing establishments in that part Of the
city. The surrounding buildings Of the kind
largely occupied by machinery of various kinds,
and where there is machinery there is always
more OF less oil and other infammable substances
RATES DEPEND on THE DANGER.
Do such places tend to raise the rates of in
euranccP Bless YOU, YES, certainly. company
does not place risk where there are ten chances
of a fire, or loss, as cheaply where there is
hut one chance This may not be the proportion
Of differences in rates, but the difference is great
enough to affect a large amount of property in
the neighborhood of so dangerous place as that
pile Of boxes.
Later on in the conversation, the writer asked
if insurance rates were any higher now than they
we're year ago, as q result of the conflagrations
in the East and West
The average is about the same the re-
ply In some cases rates have hardened anc
advances have been necessary. because Of the
greater risks in certain localities but in Others
they have become lower for the opposite reason
There is no such thing as fixed and unaterabe
tariff OF rates among underwriters, particularly
in this city There have been many cJmbina-
lions and compacts in this respect between the
companies, but they have always failed TO WORK
well. owing first TO the difficulty of securing
unanimous cooperation, and second TO the great
rivalry among the companies to increase their
business There has leen some talk OF con-
certed action 10 advance rates in the drysoods
district Of this city, where enormous values are
concentrated, hut nothing definite yet has been
done. Some sort Of a combination to this effect
may be reached early in the new year, but Just
how it will he accomplished ] do not know.
THE PUBLIC SUSPICIOUS OF COMBINATIONS.
In these days, when combinations are called
trusts, and everybody regards them with sus-
pcion, il is difficult and almost impossible to
secure organized action Here again the bitter
rivalry of the companies is a stumb ing block
In other States combinations TO advance rates
have been formed by insurance companies, and
IN many Of them legislation has been passed TO
prevent OF abolish Just such Combinations Ohio
New-Hampshire Michigan, Kansas, Missouri
Nebraska and TeXos all have passed laws speci-
hcally prohibiting combinations by insurance
companies, and providing severe penalties for
VIOLATIONS OF such laws. At the present time
T'iuohs are being circulated in some Of the
COUNTIES OIL TINS State praying for the passage Of
similar law by our own Legislature. In
country districts where only few companies
nave representatives, combinations are possible
ana are sometimes extremely effective in cs-
'dohsnihe ana maintaining rates that are cquit-
abe ana, therefore fair to companies and 10
Poicyho ahHe' The pol cyholders, how
ever, regard these combinations with distrust
simply because they are combinations The rates
paid under the combination system would no,
lie regarded as eXorbitant and would he maid
cheerfully if there was no combination
THE ANTITRUST PETITION.
line neifinn now heinn cirnnIo,.A :. 4,