The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-25
RERATING THE CITY.
a CHANGE IN THE BASIS OF INsUR.
ANCE RATES.

| Basis-Savsnnah No Longer an Ex-
oepted City, But Must Conform to
the General standard-A Slight In
crease in Mercantile Risks Predicted
and Heavy Increases in Special In
| stances.
1t Is not generally known, except among
insurance men. that rerating Of the city
for insurance purposes is now being made,
and, in fact, has been quietly going on for
two weeks.
f. G. Calkins, representing the South
eastern Tariff Association, is in the city en-
| gagged in the work of rerating the mercantile
and manufacturing properties, and of max
ing general survey of the field in the in
terest Of the association.
Mr.. Calkins has been quietly at work
with the assistance of the insurance agents.
He will probably remain in the city about
| three weeks longer in the prosecution of this
work.
Besides rerating the commercial risks Mr..
Calklns Will also report upon the condition
OF the city's fire department and upon the
general condition OF things in both business
and residence sections in regards to liability
TO cOnhagrations and means of preventing
them.
SUSPICIOUS OF HIGHER RATES.
Some alarm has been caused among busi-
ness men by the report that the object Of
the rerating was general increase in the
insurance rates. and this has been the sub
ject OF some anxiety In the last few days
This, however, is denied by Mr.. CaIkins
and by the insurance men who were ap-
preached on the subject.
The rerating Of the city, they claim, is
made necessary by the fact that 1t has not
been rated In several years, the last rating
having been MAIDEN 1883. The many changes
occurring since that time by reason of the
tearing down of old buildings and the
erection Of new buildings, thereby increas.
ing risks in some instances and decreasing
them in others, has made this work necces-
sary. There will be no general increase In
rates, they said, though there will be
number OF increases in particular cases. In
many instances the rates will be decreased,
but generally they will remain about as
they are at present.
WHAT TUE RERATING IS.
Mr.. Calkins was seen yesterday, but de-
clined to be interviewed. His business, he
said, was to make rates and not to advertise
himself or the tariff association. He pre-
ferred to say nothing at all upon the sub
1ect. However, in a conversational man
ner be stated Some things of interest In con-
neotion with the rereting of the city.
The object OF rerating he said. Is not TO
increase the rates, but to equalize them.
In many instances the rates are considered
too low for the risks, and in others they are
undoubtedly too high. The object Of the
rerating is to put all upon uniform basis
The insurance companies are not MAX
Ing money at the present rates." said Mr..
Calkins. Last year $140, 900, 900 of prop
erty was destroyed by fire and $101, o0O, 900
was paid out by the insurance companies.
hot
the insurance companies would have to
take in to make any thlng. Last year was
hard one with the insurance companies.
A large number of companies re-
insured and went out of bust
ness, or went to the wall entirely.
They were particularly unfortunate in the
| outh-Chattannooga had two large fires
amounting to over 100000; Nashville
and Memphis followed suit with large COZ
| fiagrations. New Orleans had two immense
| fires, one alone costing the insurance COM
panies over 81 100000.
1t is a notorious fact that the insurance
companies have made no money in Savan-
| nah in recent years These things go to
| prove that the existing rates are too low"
THE CHARGE AGAINST THE FIREMEN.
Mr.. Calkins said he knew nothing of the
article published in the New Y ork Com
nlercidt Bulletin short while ago reflect
ing severely upon Savannah's fire depart
ment and the facilities for fire fighting pro-
vided here, and, in fact, had not even seen
| the article.
~ have not yet examined into the condi-
ton of the Savannah fire department." he
said, "but If what has been told me since
| have been here is correct some
| OF the statements contained therein
must have been true. The water supply
| here is entirely inadequate and could by no
| means equal the occasion in case Of great
contisgration. The fire department has not
half enough engines. There should be fully
twice as many in a town of this size. There
| are not enough men to the engine. The
standard crew to the engine is twelve men,
| while here you have only seven, and In
| some instances less than that number.
| From what oan understand the pay is not
sufficient to attract good men. Atlanta
| pays common firemen SIS a month. Sa-
vannah only pays $50"
AN AMPLE SUPPLY SOON
Mr.. Calkins was reminded that there
| would soon be an ample supply of water
with the completion of the new water
works and admitted that that would greatly
| improve the situation.
Mr.. Calkins made some lugubrious
prophecies with regard TO the southern por-
ton of the city. He said that portion of the
| city is too thickly built up with frame
| houses and that huge confagration in that
section is moral certainty at some day.
| with high wind and good start what
difficulty would fire have in sweeping
over that whole section, he said, with whole
blocks OF frame houses and nothing to
interpose but streets fifty feet wide.
| Galveston has already passed through
| this experience and hundreds of thousands
of dollars In frame buildings went up in
smoke.
Mr.. Caikins said, however, that he did OF
think there would be any increase in rates
| upon residence property,
| Mr.. Calkins is young gentleman who
Is we'll up in his business, and has made many
friends among the insurance men since his
stay In the city.
THE SITUATION AS 1T IS.
One of the best posted insurance men In
the city was approached upon the subject
and gave the meat of the situation in few
| words.
"At the last meeting OF the Southeastern
| Tariff Association" he said, sit was decided
to do away with what is known as excepted
cities. Savannah, Augusta, Atlanta, Macon
and Columbus were on the list of excepted
cities. By excepted cities is meant those
where the local board OF underwriters Is
allowed to use its own Judgment ia
making rates of special risks. This
the association decided to do away