The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-28
SLIP 33ASALAST RESORT
THE TARIFF ASSOCIATION EX-
PLAINS ITS ACTION.


View 70 Restoring the Old Rates
Likely TO be Had in a Short Time
The Water Supply and Fire Depart
ment Charges.
There is likely to be a conference at an
early day between a committee of the bust
ness men Of Savannah and a like repre-
/ sentation from the Southeastern Tariff
Association, growing cut Of the increase in
the insurance rates as promulgated by the
tariff association in slip So
Two weeks ago a committee, consisting of
PRESIDENT Overton Of the cotton exchange.
President Young Of the board Of trade, J.
=; W ilder, Lee Roy Myers, Hammond,
aul & Co., y. !. Mcintyre, a. Vetsburg,
Edward Karow. William B. Stillwell, J. c.
Rowland. Joseph D. Weed, Ed. II. Green,
J. d Hunter, Frank & Co., Meinhard Bros.
q Co, and Gust4ve Eckstein & Co, wrote
70 President Minis of the Southeastern
Tariff Association, asking q conference with
We" to securing a readjustment of the
insurance rates. The letter read as follows:
In view Of the disturbance, which, as YOU are
probably aware, has been created in this city by
slip No. g" and being confident that there
must have been reasons for its PRONUNCIATION,
winch have not been fully explained,
S we respectful co1!. request re- :S that you
Iarln Association al your convenience to meet
the undersigned, in order to nave the matter
put ciearIy before our community, and 70 define
your Ideas OF standard which will secure lower
rates.
PRESIDENT MINIS REPLY.
ceived:
SOUTHEASTERN TARIFF ASSOCIATION, !
ATLANTA, GA, Nov 81, 1889
John n. Young, President Board Of Trade;
!. r. OUerton. President Cotton Exchange
una DINERS, Sur1u1dk, Ga
dEHTLENEN-Y our communication of Nov. Is
reached me on Monday last. l am fully i'm
pressed with, and share with you your solicitude
20 reIleve your feDOwcitiZens from the increase
Ia insurance rates required by circular 80, to
Hhlcn you refer. Fully approaching your de-
sire 70 do justice to the insurance com
panes as well as your city, beg to say that
at the earliest day practicable the tariff
assoclatlon viii be glad to confer with you either
py letter or through committee at Savannah,
anu enter into most careful conSidera-
ton OF the necessary betterments for your fire
department and water supply, and this associa-
ton VIII be more than gratified if 1t shall sue
ceeu IN aiding your citizens in securing such i'm
proVements as viii entitle Savannah to the
lowest rates given any city in its jurisdiction.
Inc subject Of these reforms has been espe-
claIly IN charge OF w. d. Deane, general man
ager OF the compact, who, unfortunately, is Just
now absent from Atlanta but will return soon
and the specifications as to betterments which
you request shall be given with the least posi-
bic delay. There need be no delay, however. in
giving our reasons for advancing the rates or,
at least in making explanations sufficient to
satisfy yourselves and your community for the
present that our action was fully warranted,
ana they are as follows:
GROUNDS OF THE ADVANCE.
All towns and cities are rated according to
thelr Irrespective fire hazard, and their facilities
for meeting the same Savannah was rated on
the basis of what is designated as a ''drst-class
Guy, that is, city provided with firstclass
lTe protection, both as TO water supply and
completeness of fire department The four
large contagratiOns at Savannah beginning
with that of December 20, 1888 and continuing at
painfully short intervals into October 1889
demonstrated to all. who wished to see, that
such protection was not then afforded BY your
city, nor is 1t afforded to-day When
our Investigation began, early this year,
prompted by discovery of gross negligence at
your water works, we were then told that the
Guy mad two sources of water supply, namely,
direct pressure from the pumps and hydraulic
pressure from the reservoir. Further investi-
CATION, however, developed the fact that, in
order TO put direct pressure in the mains it is
necessary to cut off the reservoir, and that
TINS could only be done by one individual, to
WIT: turnkey, charged with that duty. He.
however, has no fixed station at which he can
be found when wanted, and is lust
as liable to be at one point
of the city as another SO of
proper time is too doubtful to be even con
sidered On the other hand, it is admitted to us
that, il the necessary direct pressure were nut
on the mains many of them are too old to
stand 1t, and would burst. Even if your punps
could give you the sixty pounds pressure in the
city, which they should do, your m aims wsuld
not stand it, SO it is evident that Savannah is
not entitled to credit for two sources of water
supply. The question then is, have you got one
ample supply? This we are led to believe, you
have not.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Fire observation-disclosures are Immediately
iiah No (
engine are one engineer and one driver no re-
lief engineer being provided, so that when the
engineer goes to his meals, his engine pre-
sumably is without an engineer three times in
every tTentyfour hours. There is one hose
carriage to each engine, the paid men being one
"a driver TO each carriage No account is taken
OF the volunteer and call men, as they cannot
be considered where city is rated as first-cla
Due allowance is made for your hook and ladder
truck and its equipments
The tax upon fire insurance companiee in
savannah is double that of any other city in the
state, which warrants the companies in asking
commensurate protection from the fire DEPART
ment. There are other reasons which viii &C
company the specifications before referred to-
that justify the advance in rates. But notwith-
standing the fact that this association has been
constantly pressed for many months past by
the companies it represents to take action in
regard to Savannah S fire protection we ALWAYS
hoping that the defects would be corrected
postponed action until there was no reason or
justice in doing so any longer, for after several
times conterrlng by letter and personally
through our representatives with your CITY ali-
thorities, we are still without definite informa-
! ton as to what betterments we may rely upon
being made
CIRCULAR SO" A LAST RESORT.
Such measures as are embodied in slip "38"
are always the last resort of the companies
for they know from experience that it engen-
ders prejudices seriously injurious to their bust
ness. Your citizens, though, we are sure will
in the end thank us for our part in securing
protection for their property and themselves
against the terrible calamity that is possible for
them now at any hour.
In conclusion, gentlemen, we beg to saw. that
| the simple fact Of being approached by com
mittee of such eminent members of your COM
munity is to us sufficiently convincing proof of
the gravity of the situation, the importance of
| promptly dealing with which should be apparent
to all thoughtful men having at heart the
interest of your city; and so far as
| this association is concerned permit
me to assure you of its desire to
| cooperate with you in fastening the comple-f
| ton of the needed improvements in your fire
protection, which will warrant it in doing away
with the additional charge of 025 now
| imposed, and of restoring to your city the in
| surance rates formerly prevailing.
beg that you will overlook my DELAY in
answering you, which has been unavoidable.
Very respectfully.
LIVINGSTON MINIS.