The San Francisco call., 1898-10-06
GIFT OF CASH
 FOR THE FIRE
 DEPARTM MENT Insurance Companies Donate $l4,635 52. IT IS FOR NEW EQUIPMENT EXPLANATIONS FROM CoMMIs- sIoNER CLUNIE. Sends a Letter With Check for the Money to City and County
 Treasurer o.
 Refs.
EXPLANATIONS FROM CoMMIS-
 SIoNER CLUNIE.

The Fire Department is to be financially assisted by the foreign insurance compa- nies This surprising information became noised abroad In the city buildings yester- day afternoon, as the result or a letter received by City and County Treasurer Refs from State Insurance Commissioner Clunie Accompanying the letter was a certified check for S14,635 52, as an earnest of the intentions of the companies con- cerned. It appears that the insurance companies are not satisfied with the pres ent equipment of the Fire Department and they openly criticize the Board of Su- pervisors for diverting money from the fund for fire protection to other purposes.
 Just how far the insurance companies may assist the Fire Department in future Is not stated in the communication sent to Treasurer Refs, but a substantial start hels been made In the s14 ,635 52 donation.
 The letter Is given In full as follows;
 SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. D. 1898.
 Hon. Christian Refs Treasurer City and Gun' gr Herewith Sfh adcisoU haad yo9 check for ss 635 52. payable to your order the proceeds to 6s deposited by you e9 the tn t ,v 2d or 1he of San Francisco. and to be disbursed by order of the Board of Supervisors and Fire Commis- sioners of said city and county for the benefit of its Fire Department. This money consti- tutes part of fund voluntarily paid to me by laws of foreign countries, and Of the State of Connecticut doing business within the State 
 net premiums received by said companies upon business transacted by them within the State during the year ending December S1. 1887 The terms of this compromise are set forth in the agreements signed by said companies and my self, now file in my of1ce and are so lengthy to preclude their insertion here. Suffice 1t to say that these payments have been made and received by upon the distinct understanding and agreement that the same wholly voluntary and not made by virtue of the mandates or requirements of any law or laws of the State of California The share of the moneys set aside to San Francisco ap- proxmately represents 1 per cent of the pre- miums received by such companies during such time on business within the city and county.
 In view of the fact of the payment of this money having been purely voluntary, I have deemed 1t but just that in exercising the dis erection conferred upon me in the distribution of the same that as far as compatible with the interests of our citizens, the money so ceved should be expended in such manner as to best subserye the interests of the people and also those of the companies making the payments. and accordingly I have set the same aside to the Fire Department fund. I am in- formed that the Fire Department is in urgent need of certain apparatus for the extinguisf- ment of fires. which 1t has been impossible for 1t to obtain by reason of the shortage in it's accounts arising from the overdrawing by other departments of the city government of moneys properly belonging to, and which had heretofore been set aside for. the of this