Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-07-27
Misesllansuus gsadiag.
QUARTERLY EXAMINATIONS.
Commissioner McMaster Would Look
After Insured Buildings.

Commissioner MeMaster Would Look
After Insured Buildings.
Insurance Commissioner McMaster
has issued the following paper, which
will be Of very great interest through
out the state:
In the hope Of reducing the fire
waste in this state 1 call to your at
tention section Of the act Of 1904
which gives the chief Of the fire de-
partment, or chief Of police. or inten-
dant, where there is no chief Of the
fire department, the right to make ex-
animation Of all buildings and premises
within their several jurisdictions, at
reasonable hours, and whenever any
of said officers shall find in any build
ing or upon any premises combustible
material or inflammable conditions,
dangerous to the safety Of such build
ing or premises, they shall order the
same to be removed or remedied." A
like power is conferred upon the in
surance commissioner, as the success
sor Of the comptroller general, or his
deputy, to act in like manner.
1t is the desire of this department to
act in cooperation with the municipal
authorities Of the state, and to render
such assistance as is within its power
in such matters. In order that the as
sistance which this department Is able
to give, may not be o7erestimated, 1t
is proper to say that the only fund at
the disposal Of the department for this
purpose amounts to about $1,000
year, derived from a tax on fire insur-
ance companies. This fund must be
used primarily for the investigation Of
incendiary fires. The deputy Of the
department may aid in the inspection
of buildings, only when he is not en-
ployed in investigating supposed in
cendiary fires.
Hence the appeal is made to the
municipal authorities to have periodic
examinations of all buildings and
premises within their jurisdiction to-
discover "combustible material, or in
fiammable conditions" and to have
these evils corrected. The suggestion
is made that house to house exam
nation be made at least once each
quarter.
This matter is Of such great import
ance that I should be glad to give all
aid within my power, to furnish in
formation concerning building codes or
rannaQf5
for information or correspondence will
be gladly answered.
1 believe the following to be axioms:
(1) The destruction Of property by
fire Is loss of wealth to the world,
and especially to the community in
which 1t happens.
(2) Property destroyed by fire, If
insured and replaced by insurance
money, Is paid for by the other insur-
ed members Of the community through
their insurance premiums. Insurance
companies merely act as the clearing
house for the collection and distri-
button Of fire losses, and so far as they
are able they attempt to make each
community pay for its own fire losses
through the rates charged for fire in
surance In cases Of great conflagra-
tions, as Baltimore, San Francisco, and
Chelsea, the whole country is laid un-
der contribution. But as general rule
each community has its fire insurance
rates fixed by its fire losses.
60 Careful property owners should
not be subject to loss either by direct
destruction Of property, or by being
laid under contribution to repair the
losses Of their careless or criminal
neighbors.
Therefore the great need for the
municipal authorities to take steps to
prevent fire loss. 1t preserves wealth
and money in the pockets Of those who
take care of their own property.
An ounce Of prevention is worth a
pound Of cure. The removal Of COM
bustible material, or correction Of in
fiammable conditions, may save thou
sands of dollars, or may prevent the
loss of life or limb Of firemen who at
tempt to put the fire out after 1t has
started
With due respect suggest:
(1r The adoption of building code
by each municipality.
(2) The careful inspection Of all
buildings in process Of construction to
see that they conform to the building
code.
(3) The quarterly inspection Of all
buildings and premises (whether a
building code is adopted or not) to see
that combustible material Is removed,
or infiammable conditions are reme-
died.