The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-24
MAYOR IN EARNEST
COUNCIL WILL ENDEAvoR To
SHOW UP INSURANCE COMPANIES.
RATE BY FAR TOO HIGH.
SHOULD BE PROMPTLY REDUCED,
SAY OFFICIALS,

Question of Water Pressure and
supply, Along with Insurance
Rate Effective Here, TO BE Fully
Discussed by Committee of the
WhOIe-SpeciaI Committee From
Chamber of Commerce VIII Be on
Hand and Insurance Agents Win
Re InVfted-Companies Made Very
Much More Than 100000 Last
Year.
Al the session Of the Committee of
the Whole of City Council Wednesday
night the question of water pressure
and supply will be gone into fully, and
interesting and lively developments
are anticipated.
Mayor Myers is anxious 10 have the
insurance rate in Savannah reduced
and can see no reason why the Is
cents that is so bitterly complained
about, is not taken off. He has deter
mined since the agitation has been be-
gun TO probe the matter to the bottom
and already he is convinced that the
rate is too high.
The special committee from the
Chamber of Commerce will be present
10 discuss the subject and the Mayor
has invited the committee to appear
with the insurance agents, if they so
desire. Fire Chief Mcguire and Supt.
Kinsey of the water works will both
be on hand and the question of Sa-
vannah's water pressure and supply
will be finally settled. Both fire pres
sure and domestic pressure will be
gone into.
Fire Pressure Claimed All Right.
The city officials contend that the
fire pressure in Savannah is all that
can be asked. and that no complaint
on this score has been made or can be
made. They say that there is always
plenty OF water at fires and that the
first complaint of lack of water dur
ing fires is yet to be made.
1t is contended that the matter of
domestic pressure cannot enter into
the question of the insurance rate eff
fective here. This is a separate and
distinct matter and must be taken up
without reference TO the insurance rate,
although it will be taken up at the
same time. Savannah's remarkably
low fire losses will also be called to
the dAAElllADli Ol InOSE VINO VIII dD-
pear before the Mayor and Aldermen
and comparisons will be made
Data is now being collected for use
at this investigation and il is claimed
by the city officials that Savannah will
by no means suffer by comparison. 1t
will be shown that those who carry
insurance have simply been paying an
increase that was put on at a time
when the losses here were heavy and,
too. when the waterworks did not have
the equipment that ii now has. There
were no air lifts at that time and
neither the supply nor pressure could
be compared with that maintained at
present. An effort will also be made
to show that in many cases where
1t is claimed the domestic pressure is
not strong enough to carry the water
TO the upper stories it is because the
occupants or owners Of the property
have failed TO make connections with
the large mains.
Made More Than $500, 700.
A member of City Council stated yes
terday that the figures given in the
Morning News, showing that the insur-
ance companies made more than $780,
600 in Savannah last year do not begin
TO express the real profits of the COM
panies.
This is explained by reason of the
fact that quite a number of business
houses are insured with companies in
the North. These Independent COM
panies have discarded the Is cents in
their basis for Savannah, and in not a
few cases merchants have found it TO
their advantage TO insure with these
companies. Considering the vast
amount of business that is done with
these outside companies, ii is apparent
that a very much larger sum than
100000 was paid into the insurance
companies as profits last year.
That a great deal of water is wasted
daily seems to be admitted on all sides.
Mayor Myers says that he is doing all
in his power to stop this waste. 1t is
probable that the agitation in this d.
rection will result in the docketing of
cases and the matter of a waste of
water has by no means been dropped.
1t is generally conceded, however. that
the only way in which the waste can
be stopped absolutely is by the install
lation of water meters.