The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-19
They Would Stand for Expenses
Out of Increased Tax.
WORKING ON PLANS
Council Fire Department Com
mittee Adopts New Methods.
Have Been Following Out Plans
of Insurance Experts.


city today to the effect that the insur-
ance tax in the city would be raised
and new office of fire marshal would
| be created. That is Chief wilmarth
would still retain his position but he
would attend to the equipment, the
books, the office and the general super
Vising of the fire fighting force of the
city. A new man would be appointed
to respond to all the fires and have the
direct orders over all of the firemen.
This report has been travelling pretty
extensively and in some cases it is sup
posed to be true
When approached on the matter this
morning all of the leading insurance
men in the city refused to have any
| thing to say about it. They insisted
| that if such a thing was done the in
surance agents would have no author
| lty because they had nothing to do
with the actions of the city in these
matters.
The fact that there is a good organ
| lied lobby working on the fire de-
partment committee of the city coun-
| Gil and that the councilmen are being
| talked into the matter of supporting
1 such new position is known. The in
| surance men would really be the ones
! to pay the salary of the new fire chief
! While the city of Topeka would employ
| him and have him under their direct
| orders.
| When approached about the matter
this morning w. w. Webb. one of the
leading insurance men in the city,
would not have anything to say He
mentioned the fact that the city was
working on plans for new fire sta
| tion on the east side and this would
give the insurance companies better
| protection. But it must be remem-
bered that the insurance companies
are not complaining about the small
houses on the east side-they are try
| ing to protect the business buildings
in the center of the city and this is
what they have been fighting for.
When asked if he was in favor of the
new fire chief proposition Mr.. Webb
sidestepped and then lodged saying
/ that this matter was not in his hands.
! All of the other insurance men prefer
red to have the reporter talk to some
one else and this is the way the mat
ter is shifted from one to the other
1t is noticeable fact that during the
/ last few meetings of the city council
the fire station plans and estimates on
| the east side have been pushed with
| fervor by the fire department com
mitteemen. They were up in arms last
minute saying that the plans were ex-
actly like those at Wash burn and
| there was nothing else to do but adopt
them and send them through.
Hurry Fire Station.
| Today each committeeman has TAX
Ind1S0dI
asking that matters be hurried and
the fire station built at once. To-
might the committee meets and it is
known that several important matters
Will appear which have been suggested
| by the insurance men in their COM
municationS and their investigations
which were carried on under their
supervision.
The first thing the committee of the
city council intends to do is to plead
| for a water main to run clear out be-
yond the shops. The original plans bv
| the city only prescribed for a fire sta
tion with chemical engine. But the
committee is going to have block after
block of water main sent out in this
Oakland district at an enormous cost
| to the city.
Another thing the committee intends
! to do-they are going to ask that a new
man be placed in every station over the
city. 1t is said that each hose com
pany is short man and each station
should be supplied. There will be sew
eral other recommendations made at
| this committee meetino and it is ex-
pected that everything the insurance
men ask for-with a few possible ex-
| ceptions-will be granted
| The insurance companies claim that
| in the last five years Topeka has grown
wonderfully but the fire department
has not. They are badly mistaken in
/ this idea In the last five years new
! fire station-No. 5-has been erected
and equipped out near Washburn col
| lege- A new steamer was purchased at
| an enormous sum-this steamer is as
| heavy as any engine in Kansas City to-
| day and is a standard up to date piece
| of machinery in every way. An aerial
! truck has been purchased. Hundreds
| of feet of hose are being purchased
| every year and the department has
been improved materially in every
! way. Not only this but new fire sta
tfon has been proposed and the council
] has decided to build it very soon- Does
! this show that the fire department has
not increased in value and growth
| with the city?
Raise in Rates
''This raise in insurance rates that
/ has been heraIded for the last few
! weeks is an Injustice to the property
| this morning. "A few statistics will
| prove this
In the last twelve years the insur-
| ance companies in this city. according
to a few figures gathered together by
| Mayor Green. have collected premiums
amounting to 1882, al. On the other
| hand they have paid out for fire losses
only $61S 9O9 This included the big loss
| caused by the Parkhurst-D fire in
| 1904 The average premium paid by the
the property owners a year is $116,061-
The average loss per year is s51,575 or
in other words clearance of $64, ,4S6.
| This is pretty good money"
l. The insurance men will now come for
ward with the statement that the recent
big fires have caused them a terrific
/ loss.
/ IT will be explained once more that
1.-The recent big fires were not the fault
of the Topeka fire department
| IF an insurance company will risk
Iuutting insurance on big fire trap ho-
ltel without a watchman, they are the
lones to blame and-not the fire depart
lment," said a prominent city Official to-
!,