The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-07
WHAT CITY MUST Do
IN ORDER To HAVE INSURANCE
RATE REDUCED.
A FIRST CLASS BASIS
AND WIPING OUT OF Is CENTS
PENALTY CHARGE ASSURED.

Flre frcSsure increased FrOpOr-
tionateIy-This Will Mean an Ad-
ditiOnaI Expense of Between $500
and $500 Month for COaI-Pres-
sure of 40 Pounds at Hydrants
Must BE Maintained-Other He
quirements satisfactory.
A domestic water pressure of forty
pounds must be maintained.
The city must have a competent
building inspector vested with author
ity to control construction.
Water mains not smaller than six
inches must be put down when new
mains are laid.
standard fire engine must be pur-
chased.
These requirements are made of Sa-
vannah by the Southeastern Tariff AS
ISOLATION, and when they are complied
with the city will be rated on a first
class basis, and the penalty charge OF
Is cents will be removed.
Mr.. Joseph S. Raine, Jr., of Atlanta,
special agent of the Tariff Association,
had conference at the City Exchange
yesterday, with Mayor Myers, and in
few minutes Mr.. Raine showed Just
what the city will have to do to get
what it desires. There were present
at the conference, besides the Mayor
and Mr.. Raine, Alderman Davant, who
first went to work on a plan to have
the insurance rate reduced, Alderman
Garfunkel, chairman of the Water
Committee: Mr.. j. A. Hirschback, the
associations local stamp clerk, and
Fire Chief Mcguire.
Mr.. Raine stated plainly Just what
the Tariff Association expected the city
to do before the rate would be lowered.
He was given no positive answer. but
IT is safe to predict that the proposal
of the Tariff Association will be &C
cepted. and that Savannah will be
rerated on the basis of a first-cla SIS
city. There will be meeting to-day of
the Fire and Water Committees of
Council, at which time the matter will
be fully discussed. Fire Chief Mcguire
and Supt. Kinsey of the Water De-
partment viii both attend the meeting.
Will Cost Considerable.
1t is figured that the cost of main
tanning a domestic pressure Of forty
pounds will be between $500 and $500
more a month. 1t is estimated that
from four to five tons more coal will
have to be used daily in order to
maintain such pressure. This will
be the chief item of expense. There
Will be no trouble about the supply of
water. The city is we'll off in this re-
speot and the cost of coal is the only
thing that is worrying the Mayor and
aldermen, although an extra fireman
may have to be put on at the water
works.
The domestic pressure at present
averages twenty-five pounds. This
means that pressure of from forty
three to forty-five pounds is maintain
at the waterworks. The first pressure
at the MIGRANTS is forty pounds. which
is maintained by pressure of from
slxty-two to sixty-five pounds at the
waterworks. Under the requirements of
the Tariff Association the present fire
pressure would become the domestic
pressure, and the new fire pressure
would be between sixty and sixty-five
pounds at the hydrant. With such a
pressure the engines would be neces-
sary only in a few cases, although
they would have to be maintained AS
at present.
Other Requirements Satisfactorx.
NNC ODJCNNAOli 10 OIGTeQ TO the other
three requirements laid down bv the
association The Fire COMMITTEES de.
clded several weeks ago to purchase an
other large three-horse, or standard
engine. This new engine will be 10.
Gated at the Central Fire Station, the
steamer at that station will be moved
to No T. and the engine at No. 4 will
go to No. 5. This will give Savannah
seven engines.
The Water Committee is puttine
down no mains smaller than six inches
and has had no idea of doing such a
thing, so that this provision really does
not figure in the matter, so far as the
city is concerned. The city is quite
willing and ready to provide a building
inspector empowered to control con-
struction. So that after all the matter
OF increasing the domestic pressure fif-
teen pounds and the fire pressure pro
portionately, is all that stands in the
way of Savannah securing a rating on
the basis of first class city.
What Reduction VIII Mean.
At present Savannah is rated on the
basis of a second-class city, which is
rs cents. This means that rs cents
is the base upon which the in
surance charges are fixed. The basis
rate of first-class city is so cents,
and this is what Savannah will receive
when she accepts the proposal of the
Tariff Association. OF course. this does
| not mean that Savannahs insurance
rate would be reduced rs per cent, for
there is a world of difference between
| cents and per cent.
The penalty charge of Is cents, not
per cent as has sometimes been stated,
viii be removed at the same time. This
| will be saving of Is cents a thousand
| to those who have mercantile risks.
! The wiping out of this penalty charge
will not make any difference to those
! who carry insurance on their dwellings,.
But the rerating of Savannah on the
basis of a flrst-class city will be a
benefit to every person who carries
| fire insurance, including extra or spec
ial hazards. Each and every piece of
property, in other words, would be
charged for with so cents as the work.
ing basis.
Will Take Several Months.
1t will take between two and three
months, and maybe four. to rerate
Savannah and the reduction cannot
come until the city has been rerated.
Every mercantile house must be visited
by Mr.. Raine and he must make a
thorough. inspection of the mercantile
part of Savannah, as well as look in
to conditions in the fire department
and post himself thoroughly con-
corning local matters connected, even
remotely. with fire risks.
The special agent of the Tariff As
sociation began his work soon after
the conference at the City Exchange
The Mayor instructed Chief Mcguire
to let Mr. Raine have one of the de-
partment water gauges and a spanner