Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-24

th~n. what cunrtitutus a normal year7 A
period during which there are no extraor-
binary counaRratiuns. We have barely
recovered frum the Baltimore FIRE That
took up the yu1rs total % Elso.aooaoo We
were told that rga4 was thersfore IN alb
normal year and probably would not have
anything to equal II for the next twenty
/ years But here. just exactly two years
later. Va are confronted with the san
I Francisco horror. a frs that has cost over
SzD.0n0oo. The year In but half over, yet
IL nothing else happens no other great
connagration occurs. the years losses arr
bound to aggregate over Ena-ma@o. Are
We not more OF less Justified IN calling
these tremendous losses normal and the
years when they do not occur ahnurmal7
True. the San Francisco fire was primarily
/ caused by an sarthqualse. but the actual
earthauaka damage scarcely reached
r.Oee.oas OF the enormous Total We have
Just noted. and earthquake or no earth
/ quake. had san Francisco buildings been
better built. had they offered less fuel for
consumption. there would certainly have
been less to burn and therefore less total
/ damage. But even IN so-caIled normal
years our average has reached three the
aters. three public halls. twelve churches.
ten schools. two hospitals two asyiurns
two colleges. six apartment houses. three
department stores, two tails. twenty-six
hotels. 10 iat buildings and Lspo homes
burned every week New York averages
roo fires a year. Chicago 4iOo and every
day in the year there are 1880 lives d.
rectly endangered by IRE.
An ON account OF poor building
We have built 80 wisely that LOo0Ooo
buildings have been destroyed by IRE dur
ing the last ten years. What a commentary
upon the intelligence OF our architects,
Small wonder that we have to exhibit
such wonderful activity in building as we
do. Why. in New York alone. there will be
over s2ooOo.1o worth Of construction this
year and in the entire country probably
y75O.Ooa0o0 will be spent in buildings during
the year 1905. But what think you OF the
people. whatever its activity In the building
line. that toisrates conditions that insure
that there viii be utterly wasted. DESTROYED,
lost in one years time buildings equal
to hve-sevenths OF the entire years prod
uctT
Cost 81 Fire Departments.
But that In not the whole cost of fire
We Just noted that San Francisco has
burned up over Ssoomo.Goo worth OF prop-
erty, but its loss and the nations in buss-
ness. in values. directly attributable to
that fire. can only be told In a figure OF
ten diBits.
Then there In the costly paraphernaIla
we have to maintain to fight fire. In sala-
ries alone we pay over 1s5.0aa0oo for our
departments; than special water supplies
apparatus and all that sort Of thing easily
eat up another seO0Op.O0o. And last. but
not least. is the tribute we pay to the
gentlemen who condescend to gamble with
US On the fire question. the insurance COM
panisBs
We have paid them In premiums 8. $40 SIS.
, 282 in ten years True. they indemnify uI
= for our losses to a certain extent: IL il
EcAse vhers we win sometimes but as in
, all gambling operations the house gets
and keeps the major share OF what money
comes within it's door For instance. last
year. throughout the country paid in
premiums Nss, 62s74 and got back from the
companies in paid losses 81. ~ 4S& But In
years like this their gamble Is not pro
ductive. it is a case where the bank get
broken. Some OF the smaller fry simply
close up and get out Of business.' other.
l bubble and litigate. some pay up every dol
lar and try 70 look pleasant. and still 9TH
ers viii Try to effect compromises. bui
rest assured IL will be many a long yeaz
before the San Franciscans have gotten al
insurance companies.
Perhaps I am captious in the matter anC
do not see the thing Alright. but it doeS
seem to me that to- the insurance companie.
belongs very great blame for the depior
? able condition OF most OF our cities rhOs'
: companies. to my mind. have been too com
: placent through design OF through ig
norance they have miHled the people. Til
companies know what good building is ana
they expatiate much upon the subject, bu
4 when IL comes down to actual facts they d
, not refuse a bad risk. in fact they TAXI
il with surprising alacrity and the differ
. ence in rates on a good building and
bad building Is 50 little that the othe
. gamblers. our average business men. AZ
quite willing 20 take the chance Why. II
San Francisco. a notably poorly built city
a % per cent. wood risk" the companie
wrote a surprisingly low rate. because mari
; you. Of the excellence Of the city's IRE de
partment. A direct bait. an encouragement
a challenge to build poorly. and peopl
seemed TO gobbIe IL up with avidity becaus
there il only one other city in the cOuntT-
that built as stability. New Orleans.
The condition brought about by this lii
. surance gamble is most Distressing. Peopl
Z have Kept on inquiring Just how poorly the
r could build to get insurance. and the com
3 nicipal authorities In making tl1e acceptable
II standard lust low pOssible-allegedl
5 for the benefit OF the poor man-and the re
suit is that the general standard Is 50 10y
that now people have 70 insure or ar
brought face to face with absolute, certai
and total loss. The companies have the az
per hand and the people ara in species q
bondage % them. a serfdOm that n a
outrage to our alleged intelligence DID IN
companies know what they were about
Was II a well laid scheme OF have the
simply Numbered into IL. in neither her
nor tliere The condition exists and. a
the small boy says. I'VE are up against H.
Positively the only redress a sensible ma
has is 10 50 build that he need caETY no IN
suranee with the companies that ii
building be as nearly absolutely ireproG
as possible and that the only loss that ca
occur In from fire In the contents OF som
one unit OF space IN his building an II
significant loss ar best and one that he ca
insure himself. such a building is POI
sibIe. not prohibitive in first cost. indee
ID actually an economy ultimately and Yer
n decided advantage 70 the individual An
d. the community
A. A BsId Dea.
- yaars am there lived a iudRe douyn