Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-08-07
INcENDIARISM AND ARSON
Some Details Of the Fire Marshars Work
in Wisconsin.

One result of work under the fire
marshal law will be large reduction
in the states loss from fire. This is not
prophesy from an Over-cOnfident fire
marshal, but statement based upon
the experience of other states.
In Ohio law almost identical with
that recently passed here has reduced
the insurance rate to 81. 10, while in the
five states surrounding Ohio, which
necessarily have approximately the
same populations and industries, the
average rate is ST. 49, The explanation
of this important fact is easy. A high
burning rate makes necessary a high
premium rate. If the fire is reduced in
any state. competition among insurance
companies for the good business, soon
reduces the cost of insurance.
The fire marshal will reduce the state S
fire loss by lessening the number of in
cendiary fires, but much greater re-
ductions VIII be made by the dozen as
sistant fire marshals looking after the
grosser fire dangers, and by teaching
the people how to remove or protect
against conditions likely to cause loss
by fire.
CLASSES OF INCENDIARIEs
AiGGiIQidA les NttC BIOhHfch bN IibbiNC
into four classes: The mischievous, the
mentally defective, the malicious and
the greedy. MischievotE boys some
times put a match TO rubbish or to
leaked gasolene just to see il burn.
The cost of fires from this cause is not
large. Those mentally defective are
the idiot and the pyromaniac. Pyro-
manla is an occasional propensity of the
melancholics, dement's and paranoiacs.
1t occasionally occurs in epileptics
Just as the kleptomaniac has an ire
sistable desire to steal, without refer
ence to profit, 50, the pyromaniac burns
from an uncomfortable impulse. He is
often apparently normal mentally and
in such cases conviction is difficult be-
cause of the absence of motive for the
crime.
PYRoMANIA is INCURABI4E
The fire marshal cannot lessen the
number of pyromaniacs because they
have no fear, but the number of fires
started by them may be limited by his
conviction and confinement in an asy-
lum. There never comes a time when
it is safe to give liberty to one who has
shown evidence of pyromania.
Those who burn ito get even will
decrease in number when it is known
that there is an assistant fire marshal
in each district who will thoroughly in
vestigate any suspicious fires.
The meanest man in the world is the
one who burns his property to collect
insurance. His crafty greed leads him
to secretly set a fire which destroys the
products of human toll. The robber
only changes the pOssessor of wealth;
he destroys nothing. The largest mum
ber Of incendiaries are of this class, but
this number has been reduced 50 per
cent in states having fire marshal de-
partmcnts.
THE FACTS GATHERED.
The statistical facts which this de-
partment must gather viii be tabulated
so that at the end of the year can be
shown the value OF the property jeopar-
died and the amount of value added to
the ash heap as the result Of ignorance,
or carelessness, or crime These facts
will be shown in the aggregate and by
counties.
Wisconsin has several cities with
about thirty thousand populations, sew
eral others with about fifteen thousand,
which are Of the same general character
as to building and streets. Valuable
lessons may be learned by comparing
the fire loss in those towns and showing
what proportion of the value Of build
ing n each is lost if fire starts.
Loss HALF COVERED ny INSURANCE,
The majority Of insurance men es-
innate the amount of insurance at 75
per cent. of the actual value. That
may he true of the selected risks car
ried by them, hut fire marshals who
get all the facts from all fires occurring
in a state know that there is but 81
cents of insurance for dollar of loss
Whether property burned is insured or
not Just so much Of wealth is lost 10
the country. The insurance companies
make good no loss; they only distribute
the loss among their premium payers.
There are other important duties not
expressly stated but still within the
intent Of the law makers. The state
fire marshal may call attention Of
municipal officers to the Importance Of
having proper ordinances against fire
dangers, and he will have for distribu-
ton forms of ordinances which have
proved effective in cities in which they
have been enforced.
THOMAS NJ. PURTEiI,
State Fire Marshal.