Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-04
<pire Insurance in 1898.

The Spectator. an influential "review Ok
Insurance." published In Nsv York, has
compiled q table showing among other
things that the net surplus Of hre insu-
rance companies doing business In this
country 1T the beginning Of the year 1884
was very much less than at tho beginning
Of the year 1893 The Aetna OF Hartford.
decreased from s3,539.s7s to t3.o1o.sa3; the
American Central. Of ST. Louis, from <lS-
IA. to $s2. s23; the Broadway. New York.
from sl2s.g75 to 1920: the Columbian. OF
Louisville, from sisls3 to $4,000; the Con-
cordia, OF Milwaukee. from &si.S6A 70 w.
20: tho Connecticut, OF Hartford. from
sis,7A to 1899, 600; tho Delaware. OF Phiia-
delphia, from s2S2,oi1 to Sllo,36l; the Fire
Association, Of Philadelphia from S7s'7ss
10 1896. sl2; the German-American, OF New
York, from S,256,915 to s1.e55,s35; Home. OF
New York, from s1,z3,so6 to SSoS2e'
Phenix. of Brooklyn. from H.Ao,2@ to
s7i3,1ys. and 80 on in greater or
less degree through nearly tho
whole list. Some companies--operating
under exceptional conditions. we suppose
show an increase Of net surplus.
This exhibit. though not put forth In
that connection, seems to US to be the
best justification yet made OF the Increase
of rates on insurance risks 1t may be that
some part Of the decrease OF net surplus
4, due TO the financial condition OF tho
country during the latter part OF last
year, but we believe that 1t Is chieny
ascr,bable to losses incurred. the fire
losses of this country having been gradu-
ally growing till they now exceed $4,000
900 annually.
When the majority CT the insurancs' COM
panies united themselves into tariff asso-
Citations and raised their premiums on
many classes Of risks, or else required
the insured to adopt stringent precauuon-
airy measures against fire. there was q
general feeling OF Indignation; but. really.
IL would seem that concerted action or
some sort was necessary on tho part or
the companies 70 curtal expenses and re-
duce risks.
Tho present regulations OF the Board OF
Underwriters will unquestionably result
I'm the erection OF better buildings In
this country. Heretofore. especially In
the construction OF factories and other
business houses. there has been too much
Indifference 10 the risk OF hre. Now
property owners must defer to the re-
nuirements Of the Board Of Underwriters,
or else pay an extra rate. American
buildings are exceeded In innammability
by no other buildings In the world 1t Is
a source Of wonder to foreigners how
Il is that we allow ourselves to build
so a. to have tho devastating fires that
We DO frequently have. We shall now
doubtless see an improvement in this re-
spect. The regulations Of the Board or
Underwriters cannot but result In FEWER
fires, because they require the erection
Of better houses and houses better equip
ped with Hre-extinguishers.
In the cities OF Paris Berlin. st. Peters
burg, Hamburg. Constantinople md Du-
bin, with a combined population OF e,Sll.
900 the fro loss in 1890 was only S.leS.coo
as against New York's fire loss with a
population OF 100000, of S,O5l.co0 for
the same year; or A cents per capita In
the foreign cities above, as against $3.50
per capita In New York.
Already we see hero in Richmond many
water-tanks lately erected on the roofs
of large buildings, and automatic sprink-
lers are rapidly coming into use, while
more attention than ever before IL being
paid to the construction of Prevails and
sheet-iron w.ndow-shutters. The first cost
of all this Is great, but we doubt not that
IT will pay both the insured and the insurer
in the end. Certain 1t Is that the figures
published in the Spectator demonstrate
that the fire companies. az a general
thing. have reason to remember the year
1893 as a disastrous one In their bust
ness