The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-11
OUTSIDE COMPANIES
MAY DE INVITED TO ENTER LOCAL
FIRE INSURANCE FIELD.
ON TARIFF ASSOCIATION
DEPENDS WHETHER THIS ACTION
WILL BE TAKEN OR NOT.

Chamber of Commerce Committee
Weary of Waiting and Will Ask
Tariff Association Whether or Not
Savannah's Demands are to BE
Granted-New Ratings to Be Issued
in Janunry-PrOmise Made That
If Certain Conditions he Complied
With Certain Reductions Will BE
Made But Nothing Said About
Arbitrary Charge of 10 Cents.
Weary of waiting for some informa-
ton from the Southeastern Tariff AS
ISOLATION relative to the relief sought
by Savannah, the insurance commit
tee of the Chamber of Commerce at
a meeting yesterday instructed Secre-
tary w. j. Donlan of the Chamber
of Commerce to write to the secretary
of the tariff association to find out
just what the status of things is so
far as Savannah's interests are con-
cerned.
1t is stated that the new ratings of
the cities will be issued in January and
yet the Savannah men who have been
active in the matter of having the ar
bitrary charge of Is cents taken off
have heard nothing from the asso-
citation as to it's intentions in the mat
ter the only assurances given being
that if the city complied with certain
suggestions made by the association
that 10 per cent. would be taken off
brick buildings. and 80 per cent. off
certain kinds of stock.
1t was proposed at the meeting that
If the association declines to make the
concessions, or, rather to grant the
just demands of the local business men,
that a meeting of those interested be
held to discuss the ACCESSIBILITY of ask
ing representatives of companies not
affiliated with the Southeastern Tariff
Association to come to Savannah and
look into the situation, with view of
accepting the business that now goes
to the companies represented in the as
ISOLATION.
AS showing the very high rates that
are charged for risks in Savannah in
comparison with other parts of the
country, Mr.. Lee Roy Myers, one of
the members of the committee. stated
that last summer he was a guest of a
hotel built of wood and situated in
New England village that was without
even a fire department, and that in
spite OF CneSe facts the rate OF lnSur-
ance was but l per cent, while in the
case of the De Soto, in Savannah, the
rate charged is 2.20 per cent.
The meeting was attended by Col. ].
H. Estill, Maj. w. w. Williamson and
Messrs. Leopold Adler, Lee Roy Myers
and William Kehoe, members of the
committee, and by a number of others,
not members of the committee, but
having enough interest in the matter
considered to wish to remain.
a statement made by Alderman r.
J. Davant, during the caucus of City
Council at it's last meeting, that the re-
rating of Savannah would not include
residence risks, appears to have caused
some surprise among some members
of the board, who had evidently for
gotten.
After the meeting an alderman re-
membered that Agent Raine of the
Southeastern Tariff Association had
stated when he began his work that
the residences would not be taken up.
Mr.. Raine had made such statement
to the alderman and to Mayor Myers,
but it entirely escaped the memory
of Mr.. Myers. Mr.. Leopold Adler,
chairman of the Chamber of Commerce
Committee, understood the situation,
and when Mr.. Raine began his work
the Morning News published the fact
that he would only canvass the bust
ness district.