The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-10-20
"COMMITTEE OF TWENTY" WILL
SEND A COMMITTEE TO
WALLA WALLA.
Fire Department, Water System, Build.
ing Laws Are to be Investigated.
and Report Made.

A party Of engineers employed by
the Committee of Twenty of the
National Board Of Fire Underwriters
are expected to come to Walla Walla in
few weeks with the intention Of
spending a month liz an investigation
Of the fire hazard in Wal1a walla.
The engineers will make a thor
ough investigation of the fire depart
ment, water department, building con-
ditions, and every facility for fire pro-
lection in the city. At the conclusion
of the investigation a detailed report
will be made to the committee, copies
of which will afterwards be furnished
to heads of departments and others in
terested in fire fighting.
Result of Baltimore Fire.
The eommitte of twenty is direct
outgrowtn of the Baltimore fire. The
National Board of Fire Underwriters.
composed Of 12O of the leading fire in
surance companies of the United
States, is trying to introduce i'm
proved and safe methods of building
construction, to encourage the adop-
ton of fire protective measures and to
secure efficient organization and equip
ment of fire departments with ade-
quate water systems. The board has
no control over insurance rates, and
the committees report will not deal
with existing rates, which are fixed
by the local board, although the find
ings of the committee may have
tendency to modify rates.
cities three other parties of engineers.
Each party is collecting data and max
ing tests, the work being carried on
by men who have had experience in
civil, mechanical, structural, hydraulic
and electrical engineering. The fed
eral government mas detailed two en-
gineers of the United States army to
review the reports of each city. One
of the engineers stated at Tacoma:
"Our instructions are to investigate
general conditions, stating facts as
they exist and making recommends
lions for improvements that will mini
mize the sweeping fire or cOnf1agration
hazard, especially in the congested Or
heavy-value districts.
Money Wasted.
Property burned is money wasted,
and the people of the United States are
the most wasteful people in the world
in this direction. Fire losses being
the barometer of insurance rates, it
is interesting to note that the first cost
per thousand dollars of value Of prop
erty insured, is twelve times greater
in the United States than in Great
Britain, where nigh buildings, large
areas. poor fumes and shoddy con-
struction are prohibited by law, and
it is twenty times greater than in
Italy, where the construction is still
better and the conflagration hazard
practically eliminated"
AS to the decrease Of the cost of
insurance, the committee of twenty
asserts that there is but one way to
bring it about, and that is to deal d.
rectly with the cause of insurance, the
burning waste. The committee says:
There are enough powerfully OPP
posed interests in the business of fire
underwriting to keep the rates at a
Just level through competitive rivalry.
Let the public look after the ash pile
and competition will take care of the
rates."
Each Has Special Duty.
Each committeeman has his special
work to do said one of the commit
teemen today. For instance, there is
a man or two to look after and inspect
the fire apparatus, another to report on
the efficiency Of the firemen, another
to study and report on the water sup
DIV. and on the location Of fire hyd-
rants in relation to the heaviest risks;
still another reports on the city orii-
nances and building regulations; and
so each and every item that is useful
for the underwriters to know con-
corning a city is covered by the COM