The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-20
IN DEFENSE OF CITY
MAYOR MYERS ADDRESSED LET
TER TO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
PROTESTS AGAINST CHARGE
THAT SAVANNAH HAS INSUFFI-
GENT WATER SUPPLY.

Thinks 1t May Be a Good Thing
for business Men to Organize Tn
derwriters AssociatiOn-Presid
EstiII Submitted Report of Months
Work-Many Talk on Needs of
Patronizing Home Merchants.
Resolution on This Matter offered
by Hon. r. VI. Hitch and Adopted.
Secretary COrteIyOu Mey Be Asked
TO Address Chamber of Commerce.
The largest meeting of the Chamber
of Commerce that has been held since
its complete organization, took place
last night. 1t was one of the most in
teresting too, because of the many
matters brought before it. President
J. H. Estill was in the chair, and about
fifty members were present.
One of the chief matters before the
meeting was the following letter from
Mayor Herman Myers:
4 regret that 1 will be unable
to be present at the meeting tonight.
approaching the Importance of the
matters that come before you and the
earnestness with which you are en-
deavOring to promote the business in
terests Of Savannah.
4 am thoroughly in accord with your
directors in the feeling that something
should be done 10 protect the business
interests of Savannah from the con-
tinuance of excessive rates of insur-
anCe, such as We are now suffering
from. Within the past few years our
rates for fire protection have been in
creased by 40 per cent, the first raise
in our rates, Is per cent, being based,
l understand, on the claim of the COM
f9r-a do. ..Tst-
ments were not up to a sufficiently high
standard. The last % per cent. increase
came as the result of heavy losses
elsewhere, and more especially in the
North and West.
Necessary Insurance.
The grounds on which the original
increase of Is per cent. was made have
long since been removed. The insqr-
ance companies, while quick to sieze
opportunities to advance the cost of
insurance, are very slow to avail them
selves of the opportunity to restore old
rates when their wishes and directions
have been complied with. This, at
least. has been Savannah's experience.
All the troubles of which the insur-
ance companies complained have long
since been removed. Our water de-
partment has expended large sums in
replacing old water mains and extend
ing mains in all sections of the city,
and $4,000 has been spent TO increase
the flow of water, so that at present
we are prepared to furnished from To-,
0O0,O0 to 1000 600 gallons daily, a
greater quantity than is supplied by
any other city of the size and improve
ments of Savannah in this country.
Our fire department has been handled
with a spirit of liberality in an effort
to protect the property interests of the
city. To-day our fire department, in
our efforts to improve and maintain
its efficiency. is given a much larger
appropriation than is made by any
other city of the size of Savannah.
The result has been seen in the small
fire losses of the past five years. The
efficiency of the department has also
been advanced by the city's policy of
street paving. under which the avail
ability of streets for fire department
purposes is always considered in de-
Gliding upon those to be paved each
year
Would Not Rescind Advance.
despite all this though. the insur-
ance companies have failed to rescind
their advance of Is per cent, based on
alleged defects which have been rene-
died some time now. Not only this.
but in the face of our heavy expendi-
lures to improve the fire protection,
excessive rates are put upon buildings
NAEu uSeQ LOT MISUNDERSTANDING DuE-
poses. ! will instance one building on
the Bay where the rate was IS cents,
but as soon as a small candy factory
was installed in it the rate was ad-
vanced to 1925, the mere matter of in
surance alone absorbing one-third Of
the gross income from the building.
How can we expect TO secure manufac-
tories under such circumstances? OF
what use are the burdens the taxpay-
ers Of Savannah are carrying for up-to-
date fire, water and police departments,
and for street paving, each of which
holds down the fire losses, If the fire
insurance companies are to be the sole
beneficraries?
ITO my mind, the time has arrived
when our business bodies should take
a positive stand in this matter. One
thing that we could do would be TO
follow the example of the manufacture
ers, business men and real estate own
ers of some cities of the North and
the West, who, finding themselves ar
bitrarily forced to pay ruinous prem
iums for fire insurance, organized mu-
tIfal underwriting associations and in
sured their properties therein. This
can be done at very much less cost
and be just as safe as under the exist
ing system, which leaves us at the
mercy of a tariff association and COM
pels us to pay exceedingly high rates
regardless of the extent to which we
tax ourselves to carry out our de-
mands.
Wants Committee to Investigate.
II trust the Chamber of Commerce
will deem this matter worthy of its at
tention and that a special competent
committee will be appointed to inves-
tigate what has been done elsewhere,
to see if some means cannot be had
whereby we can, in measure, at least,
free ourselves from this burden.
Il am satisfied that the municipality
would not object to such a committee
investigating the conditions and work.
ings of the fire and water departments
and make such recommendations as
may seem to it proper. l would also
suggest that if such a committee is
appointed it consider the question of
water consumption, Savannah, our
records showing, using probably twice
as much as the average in other cities
of its size. While / have always been
of the opinion that water meters should
be used to check waste, yet, owing 10
the unpopularity of meters with the
public at large, Council has not seen
proper in recent years to endeavor to
establish that system. Your commit
tee of disinterested citizens. business
men and taxpayers, might we'll consid-
er this feature"
Reply to Directors Action.
This letter, it was understood, was.
in part, at least reply to the action
of the directors of the Chamber of Com
merce who took up the matter of the
water supply and amount of pressure