The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-03-11
Bill Introduced in the Legislature
Modelled After a Law i'm Force
In Massachusetts.
OFFICE OF FIRE WARDEN
1t VIII be Created Under the
Act-A Blow at In
cendiarism.

A bill of particular interest to the
people of the upper peninsula, be-
cause OF the numerous incendiary
fires in that section of the state. and
of much Importance to the citizens
OF Michigan generally, says a
Lansing dispatch, has been in
troduced by Senator Maitland, who
is working energetically for its pas
sage. The bill creates the Office of
state fire warden, and is modelled
after law enacted in Massachusetts
in 1894.
The origin Of every fire, said
Senator Maitland in speaking of the
bill, ought to be investigated, by
some public official, who is author
lied to summon witnesses and COM
pei them to testify, somewhat after
the manner of a coroner. Such ali
investigation Immediately following
the fire, while the facts and circum-
stances are still fresh in the minds
of all observers, could hardly fail to
produce the most satisfactory re-
suits. Last year the state of Massa.
chusctts, through its fire marshal,
sent 50 persons TO the penitentiary
for inccndiarism, and there are Is
others who have been convicted and
are awaiting the outcome of appeals
to the higher court.
at is stated, continued the SEN
ator, "that IN two years the fire
waste has been decreased q per
cent in that state and the insurance
rates lowered 20 per cent. Ii this
bill becomes law and acccomplishes
similar results in Michigan the saw
ing would approximate 81 600, 600
to our citizens annually.
The report of Insurance Com
missioner Campbell shows that
81, 467 29o was paid in premiums to
| fire Insurance companies in this
state in 1898 That there is no
great public demand for this legisla-
| tion demonstrates in most con
elusive manner the general lack of
! information as to the existing con-
dtions and the benefits to be de-
rived from such Il law.
Consider, for instance, the con-
ditions existing in the cities of the
upper peninsula. There are locali-
ties there where incendary fires are
much more frequent than those re
sulting from natural causes. The
result is that insurance rates are sc
high rs to be practically prohibitive
and the average wage Garner has
been forced to surrender his policy.
1t is no unusual thing for reliable
insurance companies to cancel all
their risks in a city or village in the
upper peninsula because Of the fire
quency of incendiary fires. The 10
cal authorities scarcely ever inves.
tigate these fires at the time an(
generally make farce of the few
Investigations that are made.
FIRE MARSHAL.
The bill provides that the govern
or shall appoint a fire marshal, who
shall hold his office for period OF
two years, who shall maintain al
office at Lansing, and who may bt
removed for cause at any time. Thi:
warden is to appoint two deputies
one of whom shall reside in the up
per peninsula, and the fire marsha
of Detroit is also constituted 4
deputy, as is the fire marshal OF
chief of the fire department Of eact
city or village and the supervisor o.
each township in the state. All o.
these deputies are to assist in in
vestigating the cause of all fires oc-
curing in their respective localities
Every fire is to be investigated
within two days after. its occurrence
and the marshal and deputies are
given authority to summon wit.
nesses, etc. They are also given
authority of police officers so far as
the necessities of these investiga
tions are concerned, and are en-
powered 70 remove from any build