The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-10-05

| 1T Is SAID Ahat rates or insurance are To
be advanced 20 per cent. in this city.
This step has been taken by the insur-
section, though the operation of a sort of
trust. The rates now for wooden build
ings, not isolated, are practically such as
TO give the underwriters the property.
AS high rate as 6 per cent. per annum
is charged in this city ard then it must
be understood that the taxes and cost
of improvements are paid by the owners.
TIE property which pays SIX per cent.
net to its owner is regarded nice thing
to have. Thus it will be seen that insur-
| ance companies in some cases, own the
property they insure.
! When the waterworks were put IN and
the fire department improved, We were
! told that reduction in rates of insur-
ance would follow. On the contrary they
| have been steadily advancing until they
are pow SO burdensome that it would pay
! property owners to take their own risks.
| The losses from fire in this city for the last
10 years do not average $1,000 per annum,
"a very small percentage of what is paid
the insurance companies. Had the peo-
| pie of the city organized local insurance
company fifteen years ago they would
not now be as completely at the mercy
of the fire insurance companies as they
are. 1t is not too late to repair the
neglect. The German Lutheran Society
of this city has an insurance company for
It's members, which insures for just about
one-half what is charged by the regular
companies. The Newton local insurance
company now insures the property of
the older members for nothing. The
same thing is true of that of Manitowoc
Rapids, while the Kossuth insurance
company, this year paid dividend. Is
there no lesson in these things to the peo-
pie of the city whose property is confsca
ted by the unchecked greed of the insur
ance companies?
This last advance wholly uncalled for
SO far as local conditions are concerned,
should urge the people to some action. !
Let meeting be called and some steps
taken to organize local insurance COM |
pany. Insurers need not for time give |
the whole risk to this company but a
part of it at the same rate now paid the /
regular companies. In ten years this
would give us a company which could |
tu xrhJ i
would have the effect of bringing the
regular companies to time.
TIE companies claim that their losses
IN this state are heavy. Why not IN
crease the rates, then, where the risks are
greatest? II Milwaukee is infested by |
fire bugs is that any reason why we IN |
Manitowoc should suffer? Ii insurance |
companies take risks on mills and other
property in constant danger from forests
fires should we be made to pay for their |
folly IN SO doing? We can protect our
selves from injustice by organizing To-
cal insurance company and that should |
be done at the earliest possible moment.
Now that the dog paying season has
opened, dogs are being slaughtered. The
owners in many cases are taking them
outside the city limits and shooting them.
Many insist that they will contest the
tax on the ground that their failure to
pay last year was practically a repeal of
the ordinance. They say they will club
together and take the matter into court. |
1t is more than probable they will think
better of this and either pay their license
or shoot their dogs. One thing is certain
the dog population of this city will be
considerably reduced this week