The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-01-10
NEW FIRE INSURANCE RATING TO
BE MADE IN BILLINGS.
REDUCTION ASSURED
inspectors Of Board Of Fire Under
writer's Of the Pacific In cIty-Fae-
tor. that Help to Mako the Rates
Lower-on Scientific Basis.
From Thursdays Daily.

Business blocks and other buildings
in the business district are being In
spected and re-rated by the insurance
inspectors Of the Board Of Fire Under
writer's for the Pacific for the purpose
Of giving them q new fire insurance
rating. It: Is understood that ii a few
months q material reduction IN the
present rates for fire insurance on
dwellings, and a considerable reduc-
ton on the better class Of buildings
in the business district will be put into
effect.
The inspectors are men who have
made a study of their line for many
years, and the rerating is done on a
scientific basis, instad of arbitrarily,
as popularity supposed. A standard
building in the fire insurance business
is one that is considered as nearly fire.
proof as is possible, everything con
sidered, and the new rates are made
on this basis. The nearer a building
approaches this standard the lower
the rate.
Material Used.
Material used in the construction Of
the building is the principal factor
covering the making Of a rate. Area
of floor space, thickness Of the walls,
material used in the construction Of
partitions, exposures, condition Of eel
lar. construction Of skylights, class Of
roofs, elevator shafts, open stairways
and countless other things determine
the rates on a Dullding.
In making a survey of a building for
rerating the inspector goes by a
schedule which is followed in every
city in the United States in determin-
ing the risk taken by an insurance
company in insuring a building.
Many Merchants Careless.
Many of the merchants are careless
about the condition of their cellars,
and oftentimes allow dust, rubbish and
all manner Of ~infammable material to
lie around for weeks, and a spark from
a cigar, cigarette ar pipe might at any
time n~ecessitate the insurance ad-
juster calling on them a few days later
to ascertain the loss.
The inspectors say that the class Of
buildings in the fire limits and the
precautions taken to prevent fire in
Billings compare very favorably with
other cities in the state except in vi
particular, and that is the electrical
wiring. In no other business is there
such an opportunity afforded for care
less and Indifferent work as in the
business Of installing electrical wiring
and fixtures, and the inspectors say
that much Of the electrical work done
in buildings in this city is faulty and
In many ways dangerous.
Protection to Assured.
No consideration Of the condition Of
the electrical fixtures and wiring will
be taken, In consideration In making
the new rates this time, but the in
spectors are Of the opinion that these
Will hear some weight when future re-
auctions In insurance rates are made
in Billings.
From q fire insurance company
standpoint protection to the. fire in
surance companies in every regard is
protection to the assured, providing
that the insurance is taken out with
honest intent, and precautions taken
by the policyholders to prevent fire
not only help the company but make
material reductions in the rates gem
orally.
The inspectors say that in the east
greater precautions for the prevention
Of fire are taken than In the west, and
that IN foreign countries even greater
precautions are observed than In the
east.
Lower Than Ever Before.
Business men ottentimes look upon
q fre insurance inspector as a man
sent out by the company to increase
the rate and that his Investigations
are with this intent. On the contrary,
the Investigations generally result,
and this Is especially true Of the cleo
trical wiring Investigations. in a world
OF good, not only for the company but
for the assured as well.
When the rate reduction Is put into
effect In this city, ire insurance rates
VIM be lower In Billings than ever be-
fore, and as the city grows and add.
tionA precautions are taken to pre-