The Portland daily press., 1899-11-21
Most Of the Companies Have Decided
Not 10 Insure Them.
Instructions Sent Out to
Their Agents.
ills Claimed that the Tramp
Nuisance Causes this Action.

In certain sections of this state great
prscauticns ere being taken ty some of
the ire insurance companies regarding
placing insurance upon farm buildings.
Tbiy policy is being followed for the
reason that nearly all OF the companies
have found 1t decidedly Improbable TO
insure farm risks.
In spanking of this subject yesterday
Cartain Thomas ]. Little Of this city who
is the secretary and treasurer of the
Maine Association Of Local Fire Insur-
nnce Agents, said to a PRESS reporter:
"Iustructiors have been sent out by some
of the companies-or perhaps It would
be better to state that there is an under
standing between some OF these compan-
les and their agepts--not to take any
more farm risks In certain parts OF the
state. There are good reasons for this
action. A lot of the farm buildings are
in a most primitive condition and no
efforts are made to keep them up to the
standard of moisrn times. Then, too,
we have found that the proper attention
has not been paid In looking after the
chimneys, keeping them as substantial
as they should be. Another factor is the
tramp nuisance which has become more
aud more troublesome during the last
Few years. Tramps will go into barns
during the night and either by careless
ness or intention. sparks from their pipes
will set fire to the hay SO that all of the
buildings will be burned.
There has been some talk made that one
reason for tine action which has been
taken is that some Of the farmers are
putting In m ore i'm approved farm machin-
cry but hardly believe that this can he
a cause. As have just said l think
that the greatest objec ton Is that due
care has not been exercised In looking
after the chimneys. This Is surely quite
a serious objection. The losses in nearly
all OF these cases come As . rule more on
The moderate classes Of farmers than upon
.ose who keep up the modern methods
o. their farms.
some of the companies have issued in
.-uctions to their agents not to insure
arm buildings in some sections for more
shan the amount Of s1.500. Other com-
panies have sent out orders to pull on
these risks altogether. There are, how
ever, some reputable companies which
continue to take risks In these CASES.
A despatch from watervills last week
stated that most OF the companies had
notified the agen' Of that section that
they do not want farm risks except under
exceptional circumstances and that the
Etna of Hartford, Conn.,, had issued IN
structlons 10 all agents to insure no farm
buildings at all under.a circumstances
the reason being assigned that 1t was I'M
safe to insure the average farm buildings
for an amount more than 81 500, and tn at
1t was Improbable to insure them for
that amount.
The IL ma Is one Of the Oldest and most
reliable insurance companies In this
country. The agency In this city and
vicinity is held by the firm Of Dow q
Pinkham which has not received any
Instructions regarding placing risks on
farm buildings. The Liverpool, London
q Globe, also one of this leading insurance
companies for which the firm Of Dow 81
Pinkham are also agents for Portland
and vicinity. has, however, given gen.
eral understanding to Its agents to issue
no more farm risks. This tirinfstates that
there are now few companies writing
farm business in this state; out Of some
one hundred companies IN Maine, proba-
bly, no more than fifteen are writing farm
risks. Up to fifteen years ago. farm risks
were considered a profitable business, but
in the period since that time this class of
business has been stead ly dstsriorating.
BENEFIT IEA FOR THE 1EMPOR-
AIRY HOME.
The Women's Christian Temperance