The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-03
BOARD OF TRADE
TALKS INSURANCE
View Expressed That Birming-
ham Rates Are Excessive
RESOLUTIONS ARE ADOPTED
John w. o'NeIn Favors Merchants
Placing Insurance With Eastern
Companies and In This Way
Disregard Southeastern.
RESOLUTIONS ARE ADOPTED

The Board of Trade yesterday afternoon
passed a resolution requesting the insur-
ancee companies not in the Southeastern
| Tariff association to make special rate
for Birmingham, and promising II this
was done to give all the insurance OF the
members of the board to such companies.
The resolution adopted was as follows:
Resolved, That the secretary the at
torney of the Board of Trade, and the
| fire insurance committee be requested to
| communicate with the Insurance COM
panies not members of the Southeastern
Tariff association with view of pledging
to them the entire insurance of the mem
bers of the Board of Trade, provided
| reasonable rates of insurance can be con-
tracted for"
This resolution was the result of a let
ter from the Southeastern Tariff associa-
ton in which 1t was stated that no reduce
ton of the Birmingham rates conld be
granted. There was considerable discus
sion over this letter. Among those who
spoke on the matter were Simon Klotz,
John w. y NELL, ]. H. McCary. ]. e.
Shelby. Coleman Blach, R. w. Ewing, e.
| J. Cover and ]. M. Dewberry.
The secretary was instructed to find out
what rates are In force in the principal
southern cities. Letters will be written to
the commercial organizations in these
various cities and the rates secured.
Before City Council.
John W. O'Neill has recently taken this
matter up before the city council, of which
he is a member, being a alderman from
the Second ward At a recent meeting
Mr.. O'Neill introduced a resolution calling
upon the city of Birmingham to compel
the Southeastern Tariff association to
lower the insurance rates in Birmingham,
inasmuch as the Birmingham fire de-
| partment has been increased. The matter
was referred to the fire and water COM
mittee, of which Alderman Harry Jones
is the chairman, and 1t is now pending in
! the committee.
Mr.. ONeill stated yesterday afternoon
before the Board of Trade meeting that
the Southeastern Tariff association agreed
to make a reduction in rates If the fire
| fighting facilities of the city were in
creased, but instead of this the rates are
higher now than they have ever been
before. He stated that a fiat rate of
$2.05 per s1O0 is now being charged by
the association for insurance on his
warehouse which is located on Third
avenue, while only short while ago
the rate was only ST.
Mr.. O'Neill said:
II have addressed letter to State In
surance Commissioner McDavid at Mont
gomery, asking for the amount of prem
iums paid in Birmingham, in Jefferson
county and in the state of Alabama.
expect a reply within a short while and
these figures will be presented to the
Board of Trades committee on insur-
ance rates.
I'm my opinion, the only way to Sc
cure reasonable insurance rates is for
the merchants of Birmingham to get
together and go east and place their in
surance with the big companies up there"
Fire Department.
Yesterday afternoon the Board of
Trade also adopted a resolution instruc-
ing Alderman O'Neill to offer a resolution
at tonight's meeting of the city coun-
Gil to the effect that the Board of Trade
requested that no reduction be made in
the force of the police and fire depart
ments.
The resolution was the outcome of the
recent reduction in the fire department
and the rumored reduction in the size of
the police department. There will prob
ably be a committee from the board of
trade present at the meeting of the
mayor and aldermen tonight in the in
terests of this matter.
There was considerable discussion at
the meeting yesterday afternoon In re-
gard to the reduction of the fire depart
ment. 1t was pointed out by John w.
O'Neill Simon Klotz and other members
of the board of trade that this reduction
in the fire department came at a very
inopportune time.
Among others who discussed the matter
were ]. E. Shelby. j. H. McCary,> John
WI ONeill, Simon Klotz and E. ].
Cover. On the first of this month the
fire department was decreased six men
and there are now only fifty men in SER
vice. There is talk in the department
that one of the stations will be discon-
tiuued