The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-17
BUSINESS MEN
 LOOK FOR AID City Council Will Be Ask
 cd For Help. R EDUC TON IN RATES To Present the Work of Insur-
 ance Committee. Report Shows That About $2o,ooo Annually Can Be Saved by
 the Expenditure of
 8s,2oo.

 looking to the City Council of Montgofn- cry for relief from oppressive insurance rates.
 A plan for the reduction of the present high rate will be presented to the Council at it's meeting tomorrow night. It is confidently believed that the Council will take such action as will result in lower rates. The plan and the promise of the reduction of increase rates comes as a result of the work of the Commercial and Industrial Association.
 The Insurance Committee of the Asso- ciation has been in correspondence with the Southeastern Tariff Association at Atlanta for over two months, ms well as with Q large number of Southern cities. from whom special information was de- sired.
 The result of their investigation was embodied in a written report made to the Board of Directors at their meeting on Thursday of this week. which the Board Is sending out in printed form to the membership of the Association and the business community generally.
 The report Is of wide interest to the business men of Montgomery and is as
 Montgomery, Ala. Jan. B, 1So4 Commercial and Industrial Association.
 City:
 Gentlemen-The undersigned, Committee on Insurance, beg leave to make the fol- lowing report:
 Appointed at the November meeting of the Association to endeavor to secure a lower insurance rate for the City of Montgomery, we beg to advise that an ,ex- tensive correspondence has been carried on with the Southeastern Tariff Associa- ton at Atlanta. looking to this end, a file of which has heen preserved and can be referred to at any time desired. The Committee realizes that a large portion or the buildings in Montgomery are not what they should be, but we have been endeavoring simply to secure a reduction In the basic rate of the City. which here- tofore has been A. We now have two distinct plans to be followed:
 First-If the City of MentRomery will provide one first-class steam fire engine with full complement of men and locate same at headquarters and provide one ad- ditional hydrant to each block in the business district, each hydrant to be of twe-way 6rinch pattern, with four Ia inch steamer connection, so located as to get an equal distribution considering hydrants already installed. the Southeastern Tariff Association win maie basic rate for the City of Montgomery of 75 cents-the basic rate of second class city.
 Second-If. In addition to making these improvements. the City of Montgomery wan purchase chemical engine, the SoutheasteFn Tariff Association will make Q basic rate for the City of Montgomery Of 6e cents, which is the basis of a first class city, 50 cents, plus ten points pen- atty for lack of . duplicate pump at pumping Eeation.
 These rates will aply particularly to Montgomery proper, meaning thereby. the business portion and such residence por- tion Of the city as would be under the protection of the improved fire service. put would not necessarily apply to the new territory, for which no service has yet been provided, the rates in such ter rttory being adjusted as the service is extended into these sections.
 Some negotiations are still pending as to details, but the general plan is as above outlined. The expense of these improve ments to the City of Montgomery will he about as follows: First class fire engine landed at Stsoinery '..' ...... ...... .50e % chemical engine 2. .... .... 2,2O0 O0 Twenty standard fire plugs at $75.. i,soO. %
 Total .....: ...... .. ............ .$S 200 0O
 The total amount of premiums written in the City of Montgomery amounts to about s2oo.oo0 annually. Of this it fs estimated that $1eO,OOO would be the amount affected by this reduction. the average rate of insurance on which is about ? per cent. Twenty-Five points would thus mean saving of one-eighth or the expenses. or would represent A total saving Of $2oO0O annually to the citi- gems of Montgomery.
 In a nutshell, if the municipality of Montgomery will spend $S.2O0 in improving It's water and fire equipment, there will be immediately saved to the citizens of Montgomery the amount of $2O.00O an nually. You will remember, also. that these improvements in equipment are vitaily necessary. entirely Independent of whether or not reduction in the rate of insurance will be secured thereby.
 All of which is respectfully submitted
 c. P. Anderson, chairman; Jacques Loeb, Simon Gassenheimer, c. W. Buck ley. E. Burnett. B. J. Baldwin, John Tul- lis, Jr, J. s. Wilcox, J, T. Moses, A. M. Cassimus, B. H. Brown, Ed C. Fowler Hugh Gallagher, W. E. Haygood, s. K. Hirscher, o. c. Maner, Gus Rice, w. T. Robertson. J.. J. Rutter, A. P. Tyson.
 The Board of Directors approved work of the Committee in heartiest terms and requested them to present the matter to the City Council on next Monday night for their action.
 It is probable that a number of rnen,- bers will be present at the Council meet ing also. as all are interested in the secur- Ing of lower rates for insurance at Mont- gomery.
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