Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-12-12

A&YHTuslnB. -aleS mace hhoWh N
ysgar application, 49, 81 .et ,.,f, 81
9 HIGHER INSURANCE LICENSE.
Irrom The World Of Friday
so The city council last night took thel
q sirst step toward a higher license for
- fire insurance companies The license
heretofore has been FIVE dollars but
"a the. ordinance as It will pass the coun-
oil at special meeting will increase
this to fifty dollars This viii not b9,
a license FOR the agent to 10 business
but Rfrf be III license on each insult
ance compahy which Is represented
81 IN this city Z. 1t has been felt for.
~ sotae time that .sihefrate was too low
AZ rs mel Shboring towns make a higher
charge sT9tsa af ags eos 5as
s It,wil. be recalled tRaf 4 few fears
10 ago the same matter was. before the
council and during the tisne, OF the
s, Installation Or the fire apparatus there
~ was a sort of conpromise effected
"a by which .the rate, was Left, stand, At
Ct That time Reinsurance companies
80 made representations to those who
~. were interested III the improvements
of our FIRE protection, that III certain
fire fighting facilities were installed
The Insurance IA e sfn the city would.
be reduced with these assuianeest
the council Jeenied : It wise to take
such steps as would give sth6 resi-
dents Of the city better fire protection
and at the same time save the prop
erty owners in the amount OF prem
iums paid With tlis-in view and un-
4 der the advice of the representatives
~ of the insurance companies, the chem
IT fcal engine was installed and larger
water mains and additional fire n.y.
drants put in on the recommendation
or the Insurance people All this
~ Improvement would, they said, re-
duce the risk and there would be a
- corresponding decrease in the prem
iuzn.
After che city had Increased its an
nual expense for fire protection from
two hundred and fifty dollars to near
ly three thousand, the Insurance com
&C panies were asked to make good the
~ promised reduction in rate. They
~ came back with the reply that it had
been their intention to raise the rate
but as this additional protection had
been given the property, they had de-
cided not to increase the rate.
80 LAS matter OF fact, the fire pro-
< ! section Of this city IS aLIrotection to
ss the insurance companies moreso
sa than it is to the property owners. By
the efficiency of our department
thousands of dollars have been saved
sncI in losses. that the insurance compan-
~ les would have been compelled to pay
had it not been for the good work of
our fire fighters z-c rr
The wise property owner has hs
property we'll covered by Insurance.
and in case ST its destruction the
7Fq company carries the bulk of the loss
S'S ani not the Individual property own
er, ~ -
~1~Newt ing opder to keep ,p this most
excellent fire department the city
saast-AaFe-- larger income and the
council deems it no more than right
that the parties who are receiving
the greatest protection should pay. a
i + license eomnensurate win that pro
I lection, Il = sfl q VlAfllfi vs.
Another thing only the strong,
well established insurance companies
=. will do business under. such a license
and for that reason those who have
their property insured viii be sure
- or recovering in case Of loss. a.
's',e1' The council Is to be highly com
snended for this move and they should
oae haye the hearty support of every
sse property owner This license will be
payable on the first day of January
and any. company refusing to take out
license win be prevented from do
ing business in the city.
New Jersey physicians Will make
an effort to resqsitate the next vic
tim of the electric chair in an effort
refute the claim that the current does
not kill
Congressman Hughes does not like
the new order of The president which
nlaces fourth class nostmasters under