Omaha daily bee., 1896-03-18
rs 1T A CASE or PUNISHMENT

| The Bee reprints i'll another column
an editorial article which appears in the
last number of The Investigator, the
Chicago insurance organ. which pro-
fesses to explain the reasons why in
surance rates are high in this city and
why they should not be reduced. "The
right way for Omaha to go about it to
secure a reduction of rates" we are
| g~raciously informed, sis to reduce the
fire hazard of the city. This can be
lone by %enacting better building laws,
improving the buildings already
erected, strengthening the fire depart
ment and increasing the water sup
ply. This done, and then will be the
| time to ask for Il reduction of rates if
the companies shall not already have
reduced them-the chances being two to
one in favor of that they have. There
is no justification for n reduction at the
present time"
This is a beautiful bit of sarcasm.
Pray, what has Omaha been doing dur
ing the past two years but just these
very things? It's fire department has
been thoroughly ~reorganized and
equipped with the most modern fire
fighting apparatus regardless of eX-
pense. Its water supply has been in
creased by the enlargement of the water
mains and other Improvements costing
nearly a quarter of a million
dollars. Its fire alarm sys-
TEN has been improved so as
to give instant notice of fires in any
part of the city, The electric wiring of
it's buildings, said to have been pre-
viously defective, has been readiusted
according to the most approved princi-
pies. The building laws of Omaha are
substantially the same as those in other
cities of the same class and the streets
and alleys of Omaha are wider than
the streets and alleys of most other
cities. Yet that two-to-one voluntary
reduction in insurance rates has not
yet made its appearance. What more
would the underwriters have the
people of Omaha do for them?
There is apparently n thing more
and that is indicated in the concluding
DtiuSIdDhS VI III aliiNiC tlNIlN ~
The insurance rates have been raised
for Nebraska as n punishment for the
enactment of legislation for the protec-
ton of policy holders. Wherever
valued policy laws are in force, say the
underwriters. the loss record is excess
sive and rates must be increased. But
the falsity Of this position is lemon
strated by their own figures. Notwitll-
standing the valued policy law. the per
cent of losses to. premiums in this state
decreased from Chs in 1893 to 53.4 in
In spite of the assertion that such
laws ncourage incendiarism the losses
have decreased from $~1,2SS.6i5 in 1893
to S710,046 in 1895. If this does not in
dictate that the valued policy LAY is a
good thing for both the insurance com
panies and the policy holders, what
does it indicated?
But ever if the law were operating to
the disadvantage of the companies,
would that afford any good reason why
the business men and property own-
ers of this city and state should be
punished and inflicted with n discrimi-
mating burden not imposed upon other
cities no better situated with respect to
fire risk? The people of Omaha are
not disposed to ask anything unreason-
able of the underwriters, but they
strenuously object to being punished for
insisting upon their rights.