The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-05-10
MISUNDERSTANDING
Some Facts Which VIII De of Inter.
est to Many POuItrymen.

est 10 many iOuItrymPn.
To get as full statement as posi-
bic of the attitude of the insurance
companies toward incubator risks the
writer called on the agent through
whom he places his own insurance and
through his courtesy was able to get
interviews with n number of the lead
ing insurance men of Boston and state
ments from them of the position of the
insurance companies in the matter
None of the companies cares to write
policies covering dwelling houses or
barns or other outbuldings if incu-
batorS are run in them.
som" companies give special permits
to run incubators in cases where in
veStigation as to the conditions and
the agents report as to the party in
surfing satisfy them that the risk is
relatively slight, but these permits. as
rule, are granted as business favors
to good customers They are eXcep-
tons not to be taken as rules or prece-
dents
few companies make special rates
for property where incubators are op-
Grated. these rates being in the only
ease where we could get the figures
two times the usual rates for protect
ed coy fire department. property and
Two ana onc-half times the usual rates
for unprotected property. The only
ones. however we could learn of which
dc this are the Worcester Mass. and
Portland CMcJ boards of underwriters.
The insurance companies generally
regard incuhatorS as more objcctiona-
bile than oil stoves. because the latter
are not kept constantly burning and
nre rarely left unattended when in
use, 50 that while many fires do origi-
nate from oil stoves such fires are gen
orally observed Mt the very start, ana
the average loss from fires originating
this way &, light
Kerosene lamps left burning mt night
they object to. but regard as less dan
gerouS than mcubatorS for two rra-
sons first, because such lamps are
not burned for ~ hours without trim
ming or cleaning, as Incubator lamps
are hut as rule are trimmed and
cleaned after having been burned. ut
most, lu or T. hours; second, because
the lamp is in room where some one
sleeps or a room adjoining an occupied
room. ANA thus in ease Of fire from ii
the fire is likely to bc quickly detect
eel, while. with an incubator in the eel
lar and usually no one on the first
floor of the house, fire starting from an
Incubator easily gains strong Roadway
before being detected.
In way the objections of the inSur-
ance companies to iucuhaturS are the
orcticaL for none of them are able To
give statistics showing that facts will
| support their theories OF course hav-
ing generally refused to accept risks
where iucubatorS were concerned their
books will not reveal anything as to
losses traccahlc To- that cause. As we
tod these gentlemen, we think it very
doubtful whether they could prove that
their objections To iuculators were
well founded We hear Of very few
cases of loss 10 poultrymcn through
fires originating from incuhators. willie
We do hear of quite number of con
ilasratiouS. not often very large, start
inS from lamp breeders.
rs the matter stands now, insurance
where there are incubators seems to
be principally question of particular
persons and circumstances. and even
while the boards mentioned do accept
incubator risks at special rates it does
not appear that they do So indiscrim-
inatcly The opinion of the insurance
men seemed to be that if man could
not induce agents who knew him ana
with whom hc was doing business To
write his insurance on property where
an Incubator was operated there
would Ice little prospect of his being
able 10 place his insurance elsewhere.
Thus it becomes principally a qucs-
ton of satisfying a local agent that in
any particular case the conditions re-
ducc the supposed risk enough to jus
tify the insurance company In accept
iug IT, So that when You get at the
bottom of the matter it depends very
much on the agents ana the would be-
insured keeping cool ana being reason
able.
We think that the insurance compa
mics might we'll adopt "a more liberal
policy in this matter. But after going
over the ground pretty carefully il
seems To lis that this is not likely to
come except as it develops from pres
ent conditions. which we believe. are
much more favorable than those Of
some years ago As exceptions" 10 the
rule not 10 accept risks where inruha-
tors are operated become more uumcr-
Gus, we think the companies viii find
that their theories us To- the probahili.
ties of losses from fires originating
from iucuhators have unduly maguited
the risks and viii in time come To con
slider an incubator properly protected
rs adding but little to the risk.-Farm
Poultry.
OUR HENS IN GERMANY.