The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-20
News of the Insurance World
Provides for City Electrician,

Provides for City Electrician.
| In the hands of the municipal laws
committee OF the Salt Lake city council
there is an ordinance which il enacted
| Into law will mean considerable OF a re-
duciion, in present fire Insurance rates
| The bill provides for the creating or the
| office of city electrician, with certain
| @eIl.oeiined duties. and the establish
| spcct to the installation OF all electric
wiring: The records show that a large
proportion of the fires in Salt Lake are
the result or defective wiring; and the
| aim and intent OF the proposed ordinance
| is 10 remedy this evil as much as pos
sloie' thus reducing the fire hazard as
ing the flrcmen when endeavoring to To-
| cate the source of the fire
Electrical fire hazard is not we'll un-
| de-stood by property owners and others
aud for that reason is given but little
| consideration.
Experience of insurance companies has
forced them to regard electricity as an
extreme hazard unless safe rules for in
stallation are observed. II Is claimed
that Salt Lake is one OF the few cities OF
any Importance that has fGiled to recog-
nize the danger and provide the proper
safeguards
Last winter corps of competent en-
gineers. acting under the direction OF tho
National Board of Fire underwriters,
trtcal conditions In Salt Lake City. In
their report they stated among other
things that: THE condition of inside
wiring shows the lack OF proper super
vision to n most marked degree. 4 few
or the newer equipments are I'm fair con-
dition, but old work is in from poor To
hazardous condition. many of the ma
teriulS in use being those which through
experience have been found to constitute
fire hazards and have long since been
abandoned in other cities, or The fires
which have occurred in Salt Lake CITY
the proportion attributed to electrical
couses Is much larger than in cities In
which supervision is maintained, but even
this has failed to induce the city to take
up its duty OF supervising electric Hir-
ing"
The claim Is made that electrical con-
tractors are practically forced TO bid on
the cheapest material and employ men
and boys Of little or no experience TO
do the work. "rhe man who bids the
lowest gets the contract" is what they
say. The property owners cannot be eX-
pected to know whether their wiring is
properly done or not. and for the general
safety OF the public the ordinance re-
ferred to provides for the proper inspec-
ton by the city.
The electrical rules, recognized as the
standard by other cities, and now in gem
eral use throughout the country are con-
tained in what Is known as the National
Electrical code, which was originally
drawn In 1897 as the result OF the united
efforts OF the various insurance. electrical.
architectural and allied interests which,
ard Electrical rules composed OF repre-
sentatives from national associations,
voted Its adoption and recommendation
TO their respective associations. This
code. it is said. is amended and brought
up TO date every TWO years.
IT is we'll known TO insurance men tnat
companies are desirous OF cooperating
with the city in every way 10 reduce or
eliminate all avoidabe fire hazard; and
with that end In view the local office
of tho Pacific Board Of Fire underwriters
OH, f.Il hsat
the necessity of adopting an electrical
ordinance similar to those already adopt
ed by other cities OF Importance, Man
agcr George V. I.awry. OF the Salt Lave
office is authority for the statement that
the Pacific Board has advised the inu-
niclpal laws committee that reduction
of at least 3 per cent on the insurance
rates in the business section OF the city
will pc given as soon as the defects have
undergone n reasonable degree OF cor
rectlon which should be within SIX or
eight months. This would mean the SAY,
ing of thousands of dollars annually that
are now paid the insurance companies Tor
protection.
The proposed ordinance. it is claimed,
does not conflict with any of the old or
dinances An ordinance was passed years
ago which makes the chief OF the hre
department inspector OF electric iSntS.
but this only referred to arc lights
throughout the city.
Then again there is another ordinance
empowering the city engineer to see mat
poles ard wires were placed on certain
sides OF the street outside o. the city
proper
The new bill proposes To place the re-
sponsibilty for new wiring upon the CITY
electrician. who is 10 be appointed by the
mayor, and also makes it his duty TO
inspect all old wiring heretofore in
stalled as soon rs practicable and TO
require any defects discovered therein TO
be remedicd
s'The intent OF the new ordinance said
Manager Lawry on Saturday, rs not
lessen the hazard both 20 life and prop
erty, now existing in Salt Lake City.