The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-14

very simple problem in economies to spend s10775 for new equipment and 25,- 545 a year thereafter for maintenance in order to place the "congested district on a flrst-cltss city basis? If the city government can't afford this expenditure of $25,0O0 a year in order that $00,0O0 in insurance premiums may be saved the property owners, then the property own CTS would better undertake to make the Improvements by popular subscription. The argument that it would be unfair to spend this money for the benefit of a few large property owners and do noth- ing for the residential part of the city does not hold good. We are all interest ed in the "congested district" even if we don't own brick block on Second avenue or Twentieth street, for the mer- chant who pays high insurance rates taxes his customers with 1t, so "Jones pays the freight indirectly. Let this zone of improvement be extended to the residential part of town as the state of the city treasury will justify.
 The general impression that there are 
 bers of the Southeastern Tariff associa- tion, anxious and waiting to take over all the insurance risks in Birmingham at low rates, is erroneous, for a most thor ough investigation has only recently been made by an agent from Birmingham, who personally visited New York and called on the managers of all the most reliable non-board companies. When asked if they would come into Birmingham they frankly stated that they were carrying all the Birmingham business they want ed at prevailing rates, by reinsuring the business for companies doing business here; furthermore, they were not called upon to pay any license to this city for the privilege. To an agent, who is posted, the threat of the Board of Trade to tako their insurance away from Bir- mingham seems idle. It Is the part of wisdom to place insurance where the best rate can be obtained, provided al- ways that such insurance really insures. Poor protection is dear at any price, however small.
 In answering the question, Are the demands of the association unreason- able?" it is difficult to figure out how any more modest demands could have been made in order to have improved, in any measure, the protection for the "con- gested district" Certain it Is, more water is needed to fight a big fire in the downtown district, with laying of the least hose possible, hence seventy-five big hydrants are asked for, forty-seven of which are new ones and in the mid dle of the blocks, and some reserve force is absolutely necessary at the central station in case of big fire in the resi- dential section, hence another engine is asked for No, these demands are not unreasonable. As to the demands for the residential section, they can easily go over for a time, as the increase in rates amount to only a trife-the basis is the same and only cents per ex- posture additional has been added, and mind you, of the $136000 total expendi- ture called for nearly s10O,OOO is for im- provements to protect dwellings. Can't we afford to pay cents additional for an exposure charge on dwellings for a while and proceed at once to put the ''congested district on first-class basis attending to the residence section later? E. s. MOORE
 Birmingham, December 13. 1904