El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-09
ACTUARY OPENS
An OFFICE HERE
Urges Insurance Men to
Help Get New Pump
House and Cut the
Rate.

Ell Paso now has a branch of the state
fire insurance actuary's office. The
first day of its existence resulted in
a. ID. ROdes, the actuary in charge,
pointing out to Ell Paso insurance men
how the key rate might easily be reduced
and the amount of insurance paid by
FL Pasoans cut greatly. Accompanied
by E. A. MOrrell, who will assist him,
Mr.. ROdes arrived here Sunday. and
Monday morning met with the fire in
suanoe agents at the chamber of COM
merce. Stating that he had opened Of
floes IN the City National bank building
the new Ell Paso actuary explained to
the insurance men his duties as the rep
resentative of C. B. Roulet, the state
actuary, whose headquarters are in DIAL
las.
His first suggestion was that the
pumping station at the mesa water
plant be replaced by fireproof struc-
t'1re at once. By replacing this build
ing with fireproof one of brick or
concrete mot concrete blocksl he show
ed how the key rate would be reduced
from so to 40 cents and the important
effect this would have ON the amount to
be paid in insurance here. 'eThis would
put FL PasO in the first class of risks,
the 1 to 40 class of KEY rates. This
class of rates fixes exposures at 90 feet
while the IL to so class of kew rates
fixes exposures at 80 feet. That is the
class FL Paso IS in at the present time
and as 80 feet is an extensive exposure,
the rates Will be correspondingly higher
IN specific cases The Herald building
Is an example of this. The building
runs back to the st. Regis and takes
higher rate because the adjoining build
ing comes within the 80 feet exposure
clause of the fl to so rate By reduc-
ing the key rate to 40 cents, the lower
classification as TO exposure would ap-
ply and the amount of reduction in in
surance paid would be very great There
Is no reason why Fl Paso should have a
key rate of 80 cents. You might club
IN and help out the water company by
building a fireproof pumping station
and still make money by getting the
insurance rate reduced Instead of paw
ing 1t to the insurance companies you
would be paying it to the water com
pany. thereby getting better facilities
for fire fighting which a fireproof pune
ing station would afford"
Mr.. Rodes made number of other
suggestions as to the best way of re-
dllcing the key rate, dealing with the
charges which have made in it against
the water company, the lack OF an dde-
quate fire alarm system, sufficient fire
hydrants and shortage of paid men.
In figuring mp the possible reduction
which might be made in the kew rate of
these charges Were removed the total
was run up to more than 80 cops
But Mr.. Rodes emphasized the fact
that by replacing the pumping station
an immediate change could be effected
which would have great benefit for
the insured of El Paso.
The new rating book. which is expect
ed to reach here Tuesday. Will contain
1877 pages and will contain the specific
rates on every risk in FL Paso except
the dwellings not exposed by mercan-
tile risks.
These rates will result in complete
change in the present ratings which
have applied in the past and it will be
necessary for the agents to notify each
assured person Of the changes. As a
general proposition Mr. Rodes stated
Monday that q great many of these
changes would be in the nature of ad
ditional premiums. although some would
be reductions in the present rate
During the actuary's talk a number
OF insurance men. including R. c. Mat
thews and W. H. Austin. expressed
themselves as being in favor of making
the improvement to the mesa water
plant Immediately.