The Greeley tribune., 1911-04-27
COMMERCIAL CLUB FAv0RS
PUTTING m0FFAT TUNNEL
BILL TO VOTE OF PEOPLE
Insurance As Applied To Greeley Is General Sub
ject OF Meeting-Fine Addresses Made-Sena-
tor Carpenter Asks For Expression OF Com:
mercial Clubs OF County Relative To Tunnel
Bill.

The Greeley Commercial club
went on record Monday night favor
ing its representative in the legis-
lature supporting the Mofat tunnel
bill TO the extent Of bringing the
measure before the people for q
vote There were nearly 100 at
tending the monthly dinner at the
Camheld. The tunnel question came
In at the eleventh hour and the full
vote OF the meeting vas not cast,
since many preferred not 10 go on
record on short notice.
The meeting was one of the best
held By the club. The general sub
tect was insurance, especially as 1t
applied to Greeley and much light
was thrown on conditions by c. E.
LtteIl and State Insurance Com
missioner W. L. Clayton.
The fire losses in the United States
for the first three months OF the
year 1911 were seventy millions of
dollars; an increase of thirty mil
lions over that OF the first three
months Of 1910.
This was the startling statement
made by Charles F. Littell, insur-
Ance manager for Sanborn & Hous-
ton, before the Greeley Commercial
club at its monthly meeting Monday
night
Mr.. Litteil's subject was why In
0urance Rates are High. The
causes for the enormous fire losses
IN the United States as compared
with those of foreign countries he
designated as ignorance. careless
ness, Indifference and faulty and
give examples. He cited the case of
. recent rather expensive fire in
Greeley caused by heating varnish
and wax on stove, until it caught
IRE, inside the room, instead Of tax
ing the precautfon to heat it in the
lack yard. He spoke Of the dangers
Of hanging an electric lamp wire
over an iron hook or twisting 1t
around a nail in the wall, of the
Danger from "dustless busters. and
ne dangers arising from trash, care
1easly placed. Defective light wiring
came in as another prolific cause of
Ares.
The United States burns more
buildings every year than any other
four nations in Europe. Chicago
alone has losses annually OF $5.-
100000. Berlin. third larger, only
e160,000. Mexico City, twice as
big as Denver, has two nres a year.
In Vienna there is not one wooden
building. In the United States there
are II 100000 of them The aver
age farm house takes a score of
average size trees for the lumber to
build it.
In Europe the law holds the land
lord responsible to tenant and neigh
Dor for fires from acts of omission or
commission. and it holds the tenant
responsible to landlord and neigh
Dor for fires due to the tenants
short comings. In Scotland, man
h fined If his chimney burns out. For
the second offense his fine is very
much heavier No third offense is
the culprit.
Mr.. Littell explained the workings
of the Dean Schedule, now in ef-
1ect in Greeley, and told how. under
tn workings it is possible to mater
ially reduce the insurance rate in
many instances.
The conditions in Greeley as stat
- by the board of fire underwriters
nNe set forth at some length in the
introduction to the rating book. 1t
u claimed that its building ordi-
Aance is poor and defective, and not
1igld1y enforced. 1t has an electri-
cal ordinance, but not we'll enforced.
Electrical equipment for power and
Hight are usually old and defective.
Water pressure lower tnan 1t should
b.
The annual fire loss per capita in
the u tied States is said to be be-
tween $3.50 and SO, as against 80
cents annually in Europe.
In the matter of what can be done
10 decrease the insurance rate in
Greeley as city, Mr.. Littell advo-
-asted the purchase of fire engine,
. steamer, at a cost of from $4,000
% $4,000, as the water mains will
not stand the strain necessitated by
Sufficient gravity pressure.
Mayor Mayher took issue with the
speaker upon several points. and