The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-10
GiTYS FATE IN MAIL
THAT is so FAR AS TARIFF ASSOC
CITATION RATING GOES.
CHEAPER INSURANCE ANYHOW
MONEY ENOUGH ALREADY PLEDG-
ED TO START MUTUAL COMPANY.

Secretary Fleming Has Written
From Atlanta to Agent Raine ana
Upon the Contents of the Letter
VIII Depend the City's Rating.
Final Conference Will Be Held
TO-day-sOme Local Agents Have
Insisted Upon Increased Domestic
Pressure New Rating Would
Mean Loss to Agents in Commits
sions.
Savannahians will be able to get
their property insured against loss by
fire, a great deal chaper within the
next few months, than they can now.
This is certain no matter how the
conferences between the representa-
tives of the Southeastern Tariff Asso-
citation and the city terminate. Cheap
er fire insurance will prevail and
thousands of dollars will be saved
those who. carry insurance.
Negotiations with the Tariff Asso-
cations representative now in Sa-
vannah will probably close to-day, and
! then ct will be known just how Sa-
vannah will be rated. Secretary Elem
ing wrote Agent Raine letter from
Atlanta yesterday. after a conference
with Inspector Lawton, who was here
Thursday. This letter contains infor-
nation that will probably close the
deal, but it's contents are not known
in Savannah, and will not be until this
morning.
Want First-CIasS Rating.
While it has been known all along
that Savannah would be relieved of
the penalty charge of Is cents hun
dred, this does not satisfy those who
carry insurance. 1t is not necessary
to rerate the city to take the 10 cents
off and what is desired most is to
have Savannah rerated on the basis
! of f1rst-class city, which is so cents,
or rs cents cheaper than the present
| basis rate. The city adheres strict
| ly to it's determination not to increase
| the domestic pressure.
! AS was stated in the Morning News,
however, the city has expressed a will
| ingness to increase the fire pressure.
! The representatives of the city have
! stated that a fire pressure of rs
| pounds at the pumping station will
| be put on, and it has been clearly dem
| onstrated that the extra pressure is
! felt at the fire hydrantS even before
line of hose could be laid. If Secre-
! tary Fleming has found this PROPOSE
| ton acceptable, and this will not be
| ascertained until the arrival of his
! letter this morning, Agent Raine will
! begin at once to rerate the city on the
! basis of a first-class city. 1t would
| take him three or four months to do
| the work.
| Cheaper Insurance Anyhow.
But in the event that Secretary
Fleming has insisted upon the increased
domestic pressure the city will not be
! given a first-class rating. Still Savan-
nahians will be able to get cheaper
| insurance.
Il am reliably informed, in fact
can state positively, that some of the
| local insurance agents are piling up
more stones in the way of cheaper
| insurance than the Tariff Association"
! said a wealthy business man in dis
cussing the likelihood of cheaper fire
! insurance ITO use a slang phrase,
! that is where most of the knocking
| is coming from. l can readily I'M
| derstand why the local agents, for
! the most part, are not anxious for
| the city to be rated on the basis of
| first class.
1T would mean smaller premiums
| and, OF course, smaller commissions.
| These agents who have asked that
the Tariff Association insist upon
stronger domestic pressure know that
/ the demand is unreasonable and that
| the city will refuse to accede to it,
| They feel that matters will rock along
| in the same old way and that their
| commissions will amount to practical
| ly the same as at present. 1t is only
| natural for them to consider their
pocketbooks. but they have reckoned
without their host.
| Money for New Company
''In the event that Savannah does not
| get the reduction in insurance rates
! that she is entitled to by all that is
| fair and just, local mutual company
| will be organized Immediately l would
not have made this statement while ne
gotiations were in progress for the
reason that it might possibly have been
| construed as a threat.
But since l have learned that Secre
tary Fleming has decided the matter
| in a letter that has not yet arrived
| and that this will close negotiations. I
| am frank to confess that a mutual
| company will be organized at once if
| the city is not rerated on the basis of a
first class city.
II have quite a sum of money my
| self that 1 will put into such a ven
ture. and enough business men have
| agreed to subscribe sums more than
| sufficient to start such an enterprise
| The money has really been subscribed.
| and will be collected whenever the COM
! pany is organized. OF course, there will
| be no necessity for the organization Of
such a company if the first class rating
| is given Savannah"
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