The age-herald., 1901-02-10
INSURANCE AND
 RATES DISCUSSED The Conference to Consider That
 Important Subject WANT FIRST CLASS RATING Officers of Board of Trade Meet Special Agent Tanner of the Southeastern Tariff Associatlon-To Meet
 Again Tomorrow.
WANT FIRST CLASS RATING

Few questions which the Board of Trade is considering is of so much practical con- cern to the merchants or the people of Bir- mingham in general as that of the citys insurance rating. The contention on the part of insurers is that Birmingham pays too much for fire risks, and the answer of the underwriters has always been. Tn crease the fire department and we will give the city better rating"
 One of the first questions taken up by the Board of Trade after it was fully or- ganized, nearly two years ago. was that relating to cheaper insurance and the | three-quarters clause, and it has been be- fore the board ever since, without desired 1 results. But the members of the executive | committee or board of control are at work more earnestly than ever with fair pros- l pect, they say, of having Birmingham put | on first-class basis, which would mean a soc or half of one per cent basis for brick mercantiles instead of 75c, or three quarters of one per cent as now, and a one and three quarters basis for frame mer- cantiles instead of per cent as now. A meeting of the board of control was held in the office of John W. Tomlinson the Board of Trade attorney, yesterday | afternoon at o'clock for the purpose of | hearing from H. M. Tanner, special agent | of the Southeastern Tariff Association. In | the absence of John w. O'Neill, president of the board Attorney Tomlinson was re- quested to take the chair. There were pres- ent Special Agent Tanner and the follow ing members: Simon Klotz, J. D. Collins, Simon Spiro Samuel L. Earle and J. L. Parker.
 The chair stated that the purpose of the meeting was to enable the board to arrive at some understanding about insurance rates, and the way to do that was to dis cuss the question and to have something definite from the Southeastern Tariff As sociation.
 Mir Klotz said that what the board had been trying to find out was what would be needed to get better rates. The tariff asso- ciation had promised in the past a better rating if the city would provide certain fire protection. That was the point that Mr. Tanner was expected to discuss. MT. Tanner Talks. | MT. Tanner here stated that he had not | prepared a paper nor was he ready to give definite answers to all the questions the
 members might care to ask, but that he
 would say in a general way the situation
 was like this: Bradstreet rates mercantile
 firms on business principles, giving each
 firm or individual rating according to
 certain conditions. So it must be with ev- cry city's insurance rating. With adequate fire protection there would, he said be no question about Birmingham's rating. He rapaa yxaI hot i,e,, purely business view of the matter and that they preferred low rate with first class protection to a high rate in cities where the protection was not first-class that the companies would much rather see Birmingham put on a full basis than re- main as it is.
 MT Tanner said that as he was not fa- miliar with the former discussions or with the correspondence this question, he would have to take up the subject as a new proposition. The members piled him with questions touching rates in other cities. He stated that Memphis paid one and Nashville and Chattanooga paid each ninety.
 How many states included in your associaton?' was asked of MT Tanner.
 North and South Carolina, Georgia, Ala bama and Florida" he replied
 How many cities in Alabama are sub- ject to the three-quarters clause?"
 All but Montgomery and Mobile, and they have the 75 per cent co-insurance clause"
 Concerning Montgomery MT. Tanner said that city had first-class water protection but not frst-class fire department. Tn reply to questions to Georgia cities he represented Augusta, Macon and Atlanta as having excellent fire protection, Atlan- tas fire department being exceptionally strong.
 MT. Collins asked what would be the sav- t@ hoe rhn Inc Dt.,.,s the soc basis obtained.
 MT. Tanner could not answer that ques- ton. He thought people made mistake in considering only the reduction In rates. With proper fire protection everybody would feel safer, and every citizen there fore should be interested in securing it. He sketched the history of Jacksonville in re- gard to fire protection. A few years ago Jacksonville was low in the scale - was worse off than any town of it's size. But 1t went to work and put itself in first-class condition, and there are no better risks anywhere than in Jacksonville.
 What Is Wanted.
 Mir. Ppiro thought that what the Board of Trade should know in nutshell was just what it would take to get Birmingham on a first class basis. If the Southeastern Tariff Association is unreasonable in it's re- quirements," he said, then we can look into the reasons why. We can make com parsons with other cities"
 Mir. Tanner promised to have his report in writing ready within the next few days. He said he would address 1t to President O'Neill and would endeavor to cover as nearly as possible the different questions asked at this conference.
 Just before the meeting adjourned Mr. Tomlinson submitted few remarks in which he notified the tariff association that he, attorney for the Board of Trade, was determined to push this nsur- ance question. He wanted action. He call ed attention to the failure of the tariff as- socation to lower the rate on South High land residences. A 75c basis was promised | If the city would establish a fire company in that section The fire station was es- tablished months ago. but the old one dol lar rate was in vogue