The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-09-22

anu UullN Ih1N bn hlib'AAAlF 10 As''Hi
ance regulations would permit. They
and the people of the country at
large have virtually been seduced in
to combustible. shoddy construction
OF buildings under false pretonscs
made by the non.pruhilhtivc latrs
of the fire insurance companies.
Wood has been another curse of
the country. It is almost blessing
In disguise that our forests are we'll
nigh devastated by our eXtravagant
ruthiessness. because even to the
most obtuse it must be evident that
the use of wood is no longer econo-
my. \ building of steel frame and
hollow fire.proofing tile. or Of struc.
tural reinforced concrete protected
from fire by tile. costs but Il fraction
over ten per cent more in first cost
than does the usual frame of wood
with wooden joists and studs. The
life OF SUCH framiI; y infinitely
longer than the wooden affair, the
old wood affair. the cosJof mainten.
anco Is less, 50 is the insurance rate,
and, all in all, in very few years
time, good construction not mly
means safety. but an actual economy.
The closing of stairways and eleya-
tor.wells, the protection of windows
and sky.lights with wired.glass. the
making of a building ireproof in de-
sign costs nothing more IN money
than the cheap hre-traps, but IS
merely the expenditure Of a little in
telligence on the part OF the archi
teCts.
Millions are spent yearly in hand
ling this plague. but only hundreds
are doled out in steps to prevent the
outbreak.
Looked at fairly. says the Ameri-
can Architect, the leading architec-
tural journal OF the country, II is the
community at large that Is the cul-
prit. since 1t suffers fires TO take
place. when it really has the power
to prevent them. It looks calmly on
at the expenditure OF millions an
inually, millions that come out OF its
own pockets. for the maintenance OF
imperfectly effective fre.departments
and yet, II but half of the money
spent in this way had bee used I'm
the difference in cost between com.
bustible and incombustible construc-
tion. the greater part of our cities
would now be indestructible.
II has been the assumption that a
, sane man. should be able to perceive
how much it was to his own ultl-
mate advantage to build nm inda-
structible building The true theory
Is that incombustile buildings must
be built. 1t Is really immaterial TO
the taxpayer whether an individual
elects TO let his building be destroy
ed by fire, but IL is of very real in
tcrest to the public that the lives and
property of other people shall not b.
jeopardized and destroyed at the
same time. 1t is desirable to substi-
tutc unburnable for burnabl ebuild-
ings with the shortest delay possl-
BILE, since n conflagration may occur
any day, and the. .process can be bet.
ter accomplished by coaxing than BY
compulsion.
The one thing for our municipali-
ties to do Is TO arrange the taxation
of property in accordance with the
lattcr's pcrmanency and indestruct'
/ ihility a fixed rate on ground values
and slinding rate on building, the
minimum on fireproof buildings and
/ the maximum on fire-traps would be
/ perfectly equitable TO all. II would
/ put the burden OF paying for the