El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-07-17
INSURANCE RATINGS.
Some Comparisons fjr Property Own
trS To Gilnce at.

|
Much talk has bee gong on for
some tine atolt the poiicy of this city
adop;iu G full paid fire department,
thus reducing the rate OF fire insur-
ance, so for the benefit of tie public
| int rested in this matter HERALD
reporter this morning looked up some
data On the sub ect ana will show the
diff renee in cost 60 the city of full
paiu depar ,ment aad t. e saving to the
property owners in the rate of insur-
ance.
1t is now estimated that bout $50. 600
year goes out of Ell Paso to pay the
premiums on fire insurance. A fire
| Insurance agent in this city estimates
that full paid fire department in
this city would not save the city more
than $4,000 in insurance premiums,
The following letter from George W.
Jalonick, of the Texas Survey and
Rating Bureau. to a prominent fire in
surance agent in this ty covers the
question of Ell Paso rating in full. The
letter reads:
DALLAS. Texas, July ID.
DEAR SIR:-'1 have your favor of
the 10Th inst, asking wnaG would be
the saving to Ell Pss1 if full paid
fire department vas put in service.
Your city is now rated on a Ito
basis TOR "B'' mercantile busine ss-a
class rating-On account of partia lily
pa department.
The bias rate for frSt-claSs city
under our schedules is l 90. Ell PasO
therefore would receive d reduc ton of
ten cents if advanced above the present
class ticatiOD.
In This come ction it is proper to
state that a Gamewell fire alarm sys-
TEN would be required in addition to a
fl1l N Pa q n 4.t IF h.af
city could be placed In the first-class.
4Ou,s very truly,
GEO. w. JALONICk, Mapager.'
Now let's see what the cost to the
city would be in putting in full paid
department.. a full paid department
means enough men to work all the fire
apparatus at the same time, and
10 do this it is estimated that it would
take seventeen paid men at cost of
ST., 900 per mooth in salaries-or an in
crease of $3.50 per month over the pres
ent monthly salaries. 1t would take,
besides full paid chief, SIX mn for
the hook and ladder truck-one driver,
one tiilermau and four men to raise the
aerial ladd, r; four men on The hose cart
one driver, two conuecters and one
nOzZlema n: two men on the engine-One
engineer and one driver: three men on
a chemical eng ne-One driver and two
hose meu; and one janitor.
The Insurance raters require that all
citit that come within the fl st class
shall have a chemical engine, which
would cost with all told 81, 900. This
engine mus be pulled by Two horses
for which stalls would have to be pro-
vided a. the department.. The putting
in the Ganewell syst IN OF fire alarms
would cost at the lowest estimate be-
tween $4,000 ard $1,000. Besides the
i
esssry to add something to the present
apparatus to bring it up TO the first
class requirements and then it woulo
have to be kept at that stan dard. 1t
would cost al told about $1,000 as the
first cost OF a Laid department., and an
increase in salaries amounting to 81 $50
J ca ~ over the present salaries.
OF course with the paid department
fully equipped with all the Requirement
OF the Insurance rate'S the service
should be more efficient than at pres
emf, but 1t is douo;ful just at the pre-
-cnt time whether there would be any
great saving in insurance rates as the
taxes would nearly equal the rate of
insurance.
If tie city would now add chemical
engine to the department it would
greatly increase its efficiency and q
new engine can now be bought for
$500. There is nothing that is now as
useful in lighting fires in their Incl |
pient stages as cheuical engine and |
the ins urs ncn raters know this so well |
that 6 II the cities that are rated as first |
class are required to have one. By |
buying an engine now tue city wou d |
be paving the way to g. full paid de- |
lartment later on when it could bet |
ter afford the extra costs.
The Compton house on South Camp !