The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-07
LIVE INSPECTOR
FOR LIVE WIRES
Situation Demands Official
Who viii Not Play Politics
But Attend TO Business.
INTEREST is WIDESPREAD
subject TO BE HANDLED IN
CHIEF GLoRE's REPORT.


Agitation OF the subject Of better fire
protection for the business section OF SAT-
Lake City seems certain 70 bring ABOUT
the appointment Of city inspector a.
one Of the first moves IN me olIe5li9n
Of Improvement What is deEnafloed DF
the insurance men the business men ana
the property Jsuers alike is not a Do
lfficsi inspector but a real inspector-one
Clothed with power 20 see tnat az 80
tTlcai wiring r. properly zone eu4 mat
ali defective wiring is made right
The statemsnt of Chief cf the Fi-e De-
psrtmeHt " II Glore u recent Is
sue OF The Herald, followed yesterday
hv the statement af Karl A She'd sec
refary Of District 4 Of the Fire Under
ritter Of the Pacific. gave rise yesteT-
DAY &c widespread discussion Inere vas
general surprise over the discovery that
the city ordinances DO not provide i0r
official inspection e electrical wiring ~
= Representative % the city and foli0W-
ing this came the assertion that provision
FER such Inspection Is one Ct the first
essentials IN guarding against serious fires
in the business district
At present the board Of fire under
writers has ar Inspector who IS author
ized ny the ordinances to make lnspec-
tons. bat his inspections are made III
the interest Of the fire insurance com
psnies 10 the end that the companies
may determine the nature Of the risks
and fix the rates accordingly. There j.
an Inspection also hy a representative Of
iris Is permissible under the ordinances
bgt this inspection is MADE in the lntc--
esf Of the Utah Light & Railway com
panT. 10 the end that no electricity be
used in any building except that which
passes through the meter
T Incidentally these Inspections are in the
interest Of The city and Of the property
owners. but only incidentally. IN all thess
Inspections she interest Of the insurance
company OF the light company is tbs
first consideration. the Interest Of ths
city OF the business man and Of the prep
eTty owner IS secondary
Chief GIoTe Ira. his forthcoming report
will lay special stress on the pressing
need for a city electrician OF city inspec
tor, with power 10 enter any building
make thorough Inspections and remain
right on the ground until all defects are
Tectified- II IS charged that defective
wiring Is responsible for 4 majority NJ
the fires IN the business district; tha
much OF tine wiring Is Anticipated and
badly done and that changes in WIRING
Is dore b. the owners or tenants Of th'
buildings at their own sweet viii. with
out regard 10 proper insulation or othe
proper safeguards
While the urgent need Of official inspec
ton OF ali electrical wiring is recognized
the fear Is expressed that politics viii 81
control IN the appointment that the in
spection viii be practically valueiess TIT
demand az expressed is for an expeT
electrician IN this position, backed viii
Sufficient authority 10 enable him to en-
force proper rules and ordinances. II i
felt that If a start is made IN this di
rection all the other safeguards hernandez
IN the business district will follow nat
urallv.