The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-12
LOCAL INSURANCE RISKS
MAY BE cURTAlLED ON ACCOUNT OF
INADEQUATE FIRE PROTECTION.
A Committee from the Fire Prevention
Association Investigating Conditions.
What Chief Hussey Has to Say.

The presence In the city OF Messrs
Charles II Pcscay, James S. Hereford
John : Aldehon, George Pfonts. u nj
Keeling, John NJ. Thomas and J. Y
Spears all Of Dallas, was mentioned, ves.
tcrday. These gentlemen compose n com
mittec on fire protection sent out by the
Texas Fire Prevention association 70 inves.
ugnte the adequacy of the protection fur
rished at this point. The committee OK.
poets to conclude tho Investigation today
aad will make report of Its findings in
this regard. The points which the com.
inittee wishes to determine are. whether
or not lnadequacics In FIRE protection exist:
Ii so, are they excusable or inexcnsobIe
ana VIII the defects, IL they exist. be
remedied? Members of the committed
state that 1t has gone abroad In the public
prints from time to time that such ana
sucb conditions prevailed Mt different dsas-
trous fires Of recent date in the citys his
tory, and that had conditions been differ
eht the losses would have been materially
reduced. They claim that these reports
nave reached the ears of the companies:
therefore the committee has been sent here
- investigate ana report! An Investigation
similar TO the one now being conducted
Aerc occurred at Dallas recently and fhrougb
the influence of the Commerci9I club t6p
CITY council was prevailed upon to remedy
inc defects Otherwise Il Is claimed Dai-
las WCud necessarily have been reduced
from INST to second place. Tho committee
vas engaged yesterday with Chief Hussey
OF the IRE, department in looking over the
lire situation, and as above Statcd ey.
poets 10 make report today
On the above subject, chief Hussey had
the Following to say: "The' Fire Proven
ton association has no kick coming on
me houston fire department. / am in
formed that some Of the fires complained
OF occurred outside the fire limits Of the
city, The total figures of fires last wear
were az follows: Total property involved
In fires, S3Oi3,905; insurance l,401 OG0;
total Insurance damage $239, 277. 30. Gal.
weston and Dallas are rated as first class
towns. There Is not "A piece of modern
nnrhlnery or apparatus In Galveston and
Dal!aS Is the roCkicst town in North Texas
III point or fire protection. All of our
apparatus Is modern. and Houston has
the best pumping machinery in the world
~ was glad to see an editorial I'm The
Post the other day advocating municipal
hrc insurance. That is a hobby of mine
] believe municipal insurance would so
burden the city with money in few years
that after 1t had paved every street aud
Furnished every modern appliance, 1t would
BE- necessary to stop taxation altogether in
ordel fo" the municipality to get rid Of its
surplus money. 1t would have n tendency
TO cQuBlize taxation. As matters now
stauC every man wants TO render his prop
Cuy for taxation as low as possible. Munl-
CilH insurance would have the effect OF
couuterbalancing insurance and taxes In
tina, water works and electric light plants
are not In 1t, as compared with municipal
Insurance, and | should like to see 1t
tired here In Houston"