The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-06
Insurance Rates in North Carolina Have
Been Reduced.
PROBABLY BE MADE LOWER
Law Gives Protection to the Property
of the State and Will Greatly Re-
duce the Number and Size of the
Ffres-Rule Promulgated by the In
surance Companies
(Secial to The MESSENGER }

cSHL SeSSiou Oh tne general assembly
there was enacted a bill known as the
Fire Waste bill, regulating the er.c-
ton of buildings and requiring all
buildings in incorporated cities and
towns of a certain class should be in
snected. There had been considera-
bic discussion in regard to this bill and
its enforcement. Commissioners
Young has insisted all the time chat
the law properly enforced would not
only greatly reduce the fire waste of
the state and save much property to
the citizens Ot the state. and taxable
property of the state. counties and
cities. but that it would result in a
reduction of the insurance rates. Com
missioner Young is much gratified that
after having taken up the matter with
insurance COMPANIES that they nave
promulgated the following rule:
Whereas. the insurance laws Of the
state of North Carolina. especially
those relating to the official investi-
cation of fires and the punishment. OF
the crime Of incendiarism for the
prevention of fires. have always been
recognized by the fire insurance com:
panies as helpful to the business and
so important a factor as to Justify the
reduction of rates. therefore. be it re-
solved. in view of the enactment Of
the last legislature of North Carolina
of what is known as the Fire Waste
Bill which provides a standard for
the construction of buildings and for
an intelligent and efficient system of
inspection. that the following inst s+cuc-
tions he issued and a further reduc-
tion in rates granted as follows:
l. On all mercantile buildings and
hotels land the contents theraof) ,
with metal, slate. tile. Or other ap-
proved fireproof roofs. a reduction
from the basis rate of ten cents, or
one dollar on the thousand dollars
On all churches, schools and public
buildings (and the contents therecf)
with metal. slate. tile Or other ap-
proved fire-proof roofs. a reduction
from the basis rate of five cents. Or
fifty cents on the thousand dollars
2. That the secretary be directed
to call to the attention of all rating
men and local agents in North Caro-
lima that by strict compliance with the
requirements of this law. the property
owners will be given further reduction
it's enforcement eliminates the follow
ing deficiency charges to new bul:d-
ings; non-standard walls. defective
chimneys, fues ana fire-places, unsafe
steam and stove pipes, improper cleo
trio wiring, defective parapet walls,
accumulation Of ashes. lime or other
infamable material Or waste.
3. That the attention of the agents
and representatives of this association
is especially called to the fact that the
above reduction must not be made or
ollowed in any city or town not proper
ly enforcing this law in regard to the
erection and inspection of buildings,
and the making and keeping open for
inspection, proper records of building
permits. and inspections as required
by said law. This reduction should
not affect existing policies.
A. This shall only apply to risks in
the corporate limits of such cities anu
towns"
The Law as passed applies to the fol-
lowing cities and towns: Albemarle.
Asheville. Beaufort. Bessemer City,
Burlington, Caroleen. Chapel Hill
Charlotte, Cherryville. Concord, Dunn,
Durham, East Durham. Edenton, EliZ-
abeth City, Fayetteville. Forest City
Gastonia, GolGsboro. Graham, Greens
boro, Greenville. Haw River. Header
son. sHendeEsonville. Henrietta. Hert-
ford. Hickory, High Point, James
| City, Kings Mountain. Kinston. Laur-
| inburg, Lenoir, Lexington, Littleton
| Louisburg. McAdenville. Marion, Mon
roe. Mooresville. Morehead City, Nor
canton, Mt. Airv. New Bern. Newton
, Oxford, Plymouth, Raleigh, Randlo-
! man Reidsville. Roanoke Rapids
Rockingham. Rocky Mount. Roxboro
| Salisbury, Sanford. Scotland Neck
! Shelby. Southport, Spencer. States
| vile. Tarboro. Wadesboro. Whining
! ton. Waynesboro, Wilson. West Dur
ham. Winston-Salem. Washington
, The privilege was given these cities
! and towns to exempt themselves from
| the provisions of this law upon fifteen
days notice to the insurance commits
: sioner. provided it was done before
the first day os July. 1905. when the
: law was to go into effect Only three
towns in the state gave Commissioner
Young notice and upon his visiting
them and presenting the matter tc
their authorities they unanimously
agreed they would not exempt their
towns The result was that no city or
town in the state was exempted from
the law and it applied to ali.
This law not only gives proper pro-
lection TO the property of the state
but will greatly reduce the number
and especially the size of the fire:
and this reduction means saving :
very large sum to the insurance pub
lie Some idea Of what this saving vii
be can be gathered from the fact thar
the amount saved in insurance prem
iums in the city of Raleigh alone, will
amount to between $4,000 and s., son
at the lowest estimate.