Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-18
FOR FIRE LAW
Des Moines Men Think State
Fire Marshal Necessary.
NORMAL SCHOOL CONTEST
1t is Opened In Legislature by the In-
PRODUCTION of a Bill to Make Nor.
NAL School of Knoxville
Home for Blind.

Des Moines, Jan. 1s.-(Special. y
One of the matters of statewide impor-
tance that the present session will be
called upon to investigate and consider
is the passage of fire mar
shal law and establishment Of
the office of fire marshal of Iowa.
At meeting OF Des Moines premium
payers, which was also attended by
several firms OF the state who also
carry large insurance, it was decided
to ask the legislature for fire mar
shal law. A committee. was appoint
ed and instructed to make this re-
quest, and it is expected will be heard
from within the next few days. This
movement is apparently entirely on the
mart OF the policy holders. The com
panies doing business in Iowa, both To-
cai and foreign, do not appear to mix
in the matter. They are fearful of
taking any active part in the proceed
ings, feeling that suspicion would i'm
mediately be aroused should they do
so.
The fire marshal law, which will be
requested by the committee, will pro-
vide for the establishment of a state
fire marshal who will be empowered
to look up losses which appear sus-
picious on the surface. He will be furn-
nished permission to investigate all
property losses and will be given au-
thority to make arrests at his discre-
ton. The insurance men of the state
are known to be generally in favor OF
the fire marshal law. They predict
that the number of incendiary fires
would be materially decreased, and
that the rates would 60 down accord
iingly under the provisions OF the law
desired. Their principal arguments in
favor of the fire marshal are the, results
which have accrued from the fire mar
shai hws0f Massachusetts.
f.. A. Durham, of Des Moines.. editor
OF the Underwriters Review, investi-
gated the question carefully. Speaking
OF the matter yesterday, he said: s'In
looking over the different papers com
ing into my Office from different points
of the state, in two weeks in last Oc-
tober, the number of fires reported as
being suspicious is astonishing. II
Indicates a condition that must bring
about some sort of measure that viii
put a check to this fendish practice.
At Clarion a $4,000 fire was reported.
with $4,000 insurance. 1t was stated
that the rear of the building was sat-
urated with kerosene. No one, how
ever. was convicted of incendiarism.
At Webster City day or two later the
lretarder mills were burned, entailing a
loss of $4,000 This was stated to be
the work OF firebugs. Again at Middle
ton a $4,000 loss occurred, which is
said to have been set by an incendiary
tramp. In Des Moines about the same
time thieves entered a grocery and
meat market esta blishment, and help
ed themselves to what they wanted,
and to hide their crime set fire to the
building. Aside from these particular
cases, within the same radius of two
weeks, several valuable barns were
burned, aggregating about $1,000. In
round numbers nearly $4,000 worth
of property was burned in less than
fifteen days in this state alone, where
the origin OF the fire was traceable to
the hands of incendiary.
These facts cannot but prove the
need in this state of fire marshal,
whose duty it shall be to ferret out
these firebugs and thereby reduce the
fire waste in this state. The effect of
the fire marshal law in Massachusetts
is something marvellous. According to
Fire Marshal Whitcomb's last years
report since the fire marshal law in
that state was enacted six years ago,
the incendiarv and unknown fires have
been reduced from 33 per cent to less
than 1914 per cent of the whole num-
Der Of fires of the state. In Boston il
is now down to less than per cent.
The record shows that this is good
law for Massachusetts,, and it seems
self-evident that similar statute is
desirable for Iowa.
The question of the maintenance of
such an office is one that always comes
up in the minds of the lawmakers and
will be the most serious drawback to
the passage of the law this winter.
But I believe it can be easily handled.
According to Auditor Merriam's re-
port, the insurance companies paid
into the state of Iowa $4O,297 in fees,
$147,541.02 in taxes, or total of $751;
s3s.O2, in 1898. The annual cost to
maintain the department at the pres
ent time is not over $1,000 to $4,000 a
year, including the banking and
building and loan departments. Max
ing most liberal allowance, the COM
panies contributed $175,OOO to the
state of Iowa in fees and taxes in eX-
cess of the sum used or needed in sup
port of the Office. The creation of the
fire marsha. law would not mean the
levying of any additional taxes upon
the people of the state. The insurance
companies already pay excess taxes of
sufficient amount TO allow the eN-
pense of fire marshal to be appropria-
ted from the fees and taxes collected.
The state is now out of debt and there
can be no more opportune time in
which to make the movement suc-
cess. The legislature will be doing a
work that is greatly needed if they
enact such a law, thereby shutting off
the vocation of the incendiary, who is