St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-03-23
To -. Hemlock Green" and Others

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Last weeks edition of The CALIFORNIAN
contained long article by y. Hemlock
Green regarding the villages fire
protection We printed it with pleasure
because the writer is a large property
holder here and is interested in this
matter. Had he chosen to use his real
name we believe it would have added
weight to the article. We desire the full
est discussion of this subject but can
not allow some of the statements made
in that article topass without further at
tention.
81. Hemlock" criticizes the special
committee for not forcing the insurance
companies to make definite agreements
as to what they would do. This COM
mittee had no authority or power to
make such an agreement. 1t could bind
the village in no way whatever and to
make any agreement valid both parties to
it must be responsible and able to carry
out it's provisions. The editor of this
paper invited "Hemlock' to go before the
proper parties and see if any agreement
could be made with the insurance
authorities. He did not do it, and it
would seem proper to ask him if he
really wants more favorable insurance
rates here or whether he is acting simply
as an obstructionist to any change.
The fact is insurance rates in St. Johns
bury are higher than they are in other
Vermont towns and cities of similar size
that have better systems of fire protec-
ton. All other towns and cities have Sc
cured insurance concessions after i'm
proving their fire protection. That
makes us believe St. Johnsbury would
receive more favorable insurance treat
ment if it will reduce its danger from
serious fires. Until "Hemlock" can
show these statements to be incorrect
we would ask our readers to accept
them and act accordingly.
He makes reference to some large
corporate interests who do not need i'm
proved protection. Please name any in
terest in this village that will not be
benefited by better fire protection.
Those which have been to large expense
in installing sprinkleKs have and are
receiving lower insurance rates than
other properties not so we'll protected.
In other Vermont cities where improved
fire protection is given good business
men install sprinkling systems in order
to receive still lower insurance rates.
The writer knows large institution in
Burlington less than 500 feet from the
best equipped fire station in Vermont
that went to large expense in installing
sprinklers because it could get enough
lower insurance rates to make it a good
business proposition. We believe there
is no institution in this place that would
not be financially benefited in getting
better fire protection.
"Hemlock" LAYS special stress on the
fact that better fire protection would
benefit o ally those located near the fire
station. This we believe to be entirely
wrong. That would be true if the fire
fighting apparatus could not get to
property located at distance quickly.
But with the equipment proposed for st.
.Johnsburv the matter of mile or more
would make little difference. With a
machine that can make from twenty to
forty five miles an hour property located
some distance from the station would be
much safer from fire danger. proportion
ally, than property located in the center
of the town that can be reached quickly
now. The man living on the outskirts
of the village who votes against the in
stallation of motor truck will harm
himself much more than he will anyone
else. Had "Hemlock'' been informed in
these matters we do not believe he
would have made these statements
''Hemlock' further argues that it
would be necessary to employ a night
and day force of fremen and the state
ments made by this paper regarding the
expense of a fire department are I'M
reliable. 1t is not done anywhere else in
Vermont. So why would it be necessary
here. The editor worked nights for
many years within 800 feet of fire sta
ton where the men went to bed and to
sleep at night. He has seen them
respond to many night calls and they
were always on the street in less than
two minutes and very often as soon as
the Indicator showed where the fire was.
'Hemlock's" lack of information may
have also inspired his boldness in
questioning the statements made in
these columns regarding the cost of
maintaining paid department. Those
statements were not originated in the