Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-03-05
Heads Of Department Stores tx
press Various Opinions,
WHAT COL. WEBER SAYS,
Thinks the Raise UncaIIod For Ia
Case of ". q. vi, l.-Parkhurst
Not Surprised.

The department store Arrangements
are somewhat, taken aback by the raise
in rates for such establishments an-
nounced by the insurance companies
yesterday.an and as printed In the News
last night But they understand the
reasons perfectly we'll; aud when the
great department store fire at Sacra-
mento Is considered, where the losses
amounted to slOeO,OoO, with 100000
insurance, the department store people
here are not surprised. At the SAINT
tima various opinions are expressed,
supt. Y. c. Webber OF u. c. NJ. J. does
not think the raise In the case Of his
house IL just right. particularly as sew
eral thousand dollars have been eX-
pended to equip the house with COM
plete and adequate means for lighting
fire. as there Is q well drilled fire brl-
gade among the employees, and q sta
tionary chemical engine has been IN
stalled with connections reaching 70
every part Of the establishment Col
Weber cannot understand why In con-
sequence, there should be no dliferen-
tiation In the case Of n business estab-
lishment like u. c. Nj. T., which has
gone 80 extensively Into fire protection
The matter Will be brought before the
directors az the next meeting. one re-
suit of the raise will be the removal
OF the wholesale stock Of n. e, Nj. l.
TO the warehouse near the depots, which
win Considerably reduce the stock held
al the up-town establishment.
Manager S. Y. Shelp Of the Walker
Bros. Dry Good company who has just
returned from an extended eastern
business trip, was inclined 10 regard
the situation phlosophically and TO
make the best OF il. lie said he recog-
nlzed the fact that there had been tre-
mendous losses In the insurance COM
panies through recent department store
fires and so was not surprised. AZ the
same time he also recognized the just
ness OF the criticism Of the Insurance
men that The salt Lake fire department
was Inadequate to handle q large ire
ana remarked that as long as II was
not the policy OF the city council TO
enlarge the department TO a really ef-
fective size, and the citizens OF the
town remained inactive In the matter,
why, there Is no use In grumbling. fest
experience was what must be expected
in the future.
Mr.. simon Auerbach of F. Auerbach
& Bro Is at present IN New York and
Manager Wallace wrote him immedi-
ately on reading the News last eve
ming OF the situation. Until MI Auer-
bach replies MIR. Wallace cannot
state just what action the ilrm VIII
take in the matter, The keith.O bileh
store will not be open until me lOtl
inst and with the careful construction
II the building they occupy, they 40
Iot anticipate an danger from hfe.
However. they are lin IT, with the
,ennaiuder of the department stores OF
The country. and must make the oesl
of ~ for the present anyhow
MANAGER Parkhprst, Of the Paoihc
hrafd OF underwriters, and other local
insdrance men IN not at all surprised
al the raise, In Fact this Is just what
they have been expecting. The growta
and development OF trade have made
Reconsideration of risks necessary, ana
tie increasing risks Of fire in depart
mont stores. has made q raise OF such
risks imperative. Mr.. Parkhurst has
often. emphasized the positive neces-
alty 81 increase in the size OF the Sait
Lake lire department II the city is to
be- properly protected. and OF the neces-
elty 81 larger water mains through the
principal business streets. He was
laughing this morning, In recalling 10
mind the belief OF a city official VINO
thought that after the water had got
into the street cisterns from an eight
incn main. the pressure In the oisterna
would be the same as In the mainsi
Hugh Anderson, the veteran Insurance
agent, recalls the fact that Portland
with 10000 population, has IA steamers,
while Salt Lake with half that popula-
ton or over, has only really one steam
ct that can be relied on the other two
steamers being Is and 30 years Old
respectively. The insurance men seem
a. be a unit in the matter Of the neees-
City Of the Salt Lake city council wax
ing up and doing something for the
better protection Of the city against
FIRE. Among other things, plugs IN the
centers Of the business blocks are
urged. on account Of the size Of these
blocks.
il Is understood that the committee
on manufactures and new industries Of
the Commercial club, Of which George
Y. Wallace is chairman, has been Civ
ing special consideration 10 the condi-
tlons of the big business block centers,
the accumulations OF rubbish therein
and the jnstness Of the charges by the
Insurance men that the local fire de-
partment Is insufficient to the clty'a
needs, and In view OF the recent fire
experiences in this city, the raise IN
insurance rates, for the department
stors, and possible, u not probable raise
fer other classes OF business property
ia this city. the local expectation Is
that the club VIII be likely to take
.,,.,,,r l.ota.I Gland