Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-07-29
DANGER FROM fire
CAN BE REDUCED BY RIGID IN
sPECTION OF HOUSES.
Commissioner McMastcr Thinks That
Something Should BE Done by All
Municipalities to Save Property.

| Insurance Commissioner McMaster
Is determined to enforce the building
inspection law which gives and re-
| quires OF every fireman or other city
official the right to inspect buildings
in order that risks might be reduced.
Recently he called attention to the
carelessness many officials had shown
as result just that much wealth of
| the world had been wiped out by
the flames.
He has prepared a circular letter,
setting forth the requirements OF the
| law, which has been mailed to every
| mayor or intendant, the chief of po-
lice and chief OF the fire department
OF every city and town in the State.
The letter Is as follows:
I'm the hope of reducing the fire
waste in this State, l call to your
attention section OF the act of
1904. which gives the chief of the
fire department, or chief of police. or
intendant where there is no chief of
the fire department, the right to
and premises within their several
jurisdictions, at reasonable hours
and whenever any of said officers
shall find in any building or upon
any premises combustible material
or inhammable conditions dangerous
to the safety Of such building or
premises, they shall order the same
tn hn
power is conferred upon the insur-
ance commissioner. as the successor
of the comptroller general or his
deputy, to act in a like manner.
1T is the desire of this department
to act in cooperation with the muni-
cipal authorities of the State, and to
render such assistance as is within
its power in such matter. In order
that the assistance which this depart
ment is able to give may not be over
estimated, 1t is proper to say that the
only fund at the disposal Of the de-
partment for this purpose amounts
to about $500 a year derived from
tax of fire insurance companies
This fund must be used primarily for
IS.
The deputy of the department may
aid in the inspection OF buildings.
only when he is not employed in
investigating supposed incendiary
fires.
Hence the appeal Is made to the
municipal authorities to have made
periodic examinations of all buildings
nd
ton to discover combustible material
or inflammable conditions and to
have these evils corrected The sug-
gestion is made that house to house
examination be made at least once
each quarter.
This matter is OF such great i'm
portance that should be glad to give
all aid within my power, to furnish
information concerning fire preven-
ton means or building codes. All
requests for information or CORES
pondence will be gladly answered
II believe the following to be
axioms:
"G The destruction OF property
by fire is a loss of wealth to the
u,
ity in which 1t happens.
(2) Property destroyed by fire, If
insured and replaced by insurance
money, is paid for by the other in
sured members of the community
through their insurance premiums.
| Insurance companies merely act as
the clearing houses for the collec-
and so far as they are able they at
| tempt to make each community pay
| for its own fire losses through the
| rates charged for fire insurance. In
cases OF great conflagrations. as Bal
timore. San Francisco and Chelsea,
the whole country is laid under con
| tribution But as a general rule
each community has it's fire insurance
rates fixed by It's fire loses.
"(3) Careful property owners
should not be subject either by direct
destruction of their property, or by
being laid under contribution to re-
pair 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 oil
those who take care OF their OWL
property.
can ounce Of prevention is worth
pound of cure. The removal o.
combustible material or correction o.
infiammable conditions, may save
thousands of dollars, or may pre-
vent the loss of life or limb OF fire
men who attempt to put the fire ou
after it has started.
with due respect, I suggest:
"G) Adoption of building cod,
by each municipality.
"(2) The careful inspection of al
buildings in process OF construction
to see that they conform to the build
ing code.
"(3) The quarterly inspection o
all buildings (whether a buildln
/ code is adopted or no) to see tha
, inflammable conditions are RENE
Il