The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-30
Restore the ola aate.

The president Of TIE Southeastern Tariff
Association, in bis le,ter to gentlemen IN
TINS city, says in substance that after there
had been four big fires n this city, begin
ming in December Of last year. the sssccia-
ton came 70 the conclusion that Savannah
cid rot have such s fire department and
such water supply IS entitled her 10 be
clEssed as a city having frst-class fire pro
lection. He points cut wherein the water
supply and the fire department are not sat
isfac.ory to the association.
II is noticeable, however. that he does
not charge that, u the opinion of the asso-
cistion. the fires TO which he calls atten-
ton would have teen less disastrous had
the water supply and the fire deps rtment
been beyond criticism. A fair in
ference, Therefore, Is that the ass0-
citation is not able 70 show that Their e
was a lack Of water or an inefficient fire
service at any One Of the fires to which its
president refers, and that although there
may be defects in the fire department and
insufficient water supply the insurance
companies have not suffered on account Of
them
Unless the insurance companies can show
that they have suffered greater losses
than they ought because Of the things
which the president Of the association points
cut, it Is manifestly unfair to raise the in
surance rates because four big fires have
occurred. IL looks, under the circum-
stances, es if the rates were raised to make
up losses which could not have been pre-
vented even had the city's means for pro
lection against fire been such as would
meet tho approval of the association, and
not because the insurance companies had
sustained losses that were due to faults on
the part of the city. In other words, the
city Is being punished for something for
which it was not responsible.
Within week property of the estimated
value OF S2o,00O,O 600 has been destroyed in
two Massachusetts cities. At neither, so
far as known, was there a lack of water or
inefficiency in the fire service. In fact, in
Boston there were seventy-fye fire engines
and a.heavy rain-storn, and yet the flames
were not stopped until SIS, 900 worth Of
property was destroyed.
VIII the rates of insurance be raised in
either Boston or Lynnl 1t is quite safe to
say they viii not. There is no association in
that state which has virtual control Of the
insurance business. The insurance COM
panies understand that great fires are likely
to occur, and they expect to stand the
losses. They don't put additional taxes on
their patrons in order to make up their
losses. They have prosperous years when
they make great deal OF money, and they
naturally look for years of great disasters
when little or nothing is made.
1t is quite safe to say that no one of the
four large fires in Savannah, which the
president Of the Southeastern Tariff Asso-
citation mentions, would have been less dis
astrous had the city had what is called a
paid department and water supply
against which not the least ground for COM
plant could be found. No one will venture
to suggest that the great fire of April 6
could have been checked sooner than it was,
or that the fire in the cotton press and
warehouses in October could have been
got under control before 80 much damage
had been DONE With respect to the other
two fires, there has never been q COMPLAINT
that more water was needed than could be
obtained, or that the fire department was
deficient
Whatever the city council may do to
ward removing the grounds of the COM
plants which the association have made, it
ought to insist when its committee meets
the representative Of the association in con-
ference, that the old insurance rates should
be restored at once.