The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-13
RUNGE POINTS WAY
TO PREVENTION
Of FIRE
Department Chief in Address
to Credit Men Makes VAL
liable Suggestions

Valuable and significant pointers on
the question Of fire prevention were
presented to the Grand Forks Asso.
citation of Credit Men at the monthly
meeting held Tuesday evening. Chief
A. II. Runge Of the Grand. Forks fire
department being the speaker. He
gave an address on Fire Prevention
and It's Effect on Credit"
In part. the Grand Forks ire chief
said:
While much in a way Of fire pre-
vention can be accomplished by in
us that unless this is supplemented
by a vigorous and Intelligent govern
mental action. the result will be
wholly unsatisfactory. Fire protec-
ton is optional--ire prevention
should be compulsory. We need this
campaign Of education to awaken the
people to a realization Of the need
of the imperative need of fire preven-
ton. Fire prevention is q. very live is-
sue. Indeed it is a burning subject
and one which sooner or later must
engage the earnest attention and CO.
operation of every loyal and pro.
gressive citizen having the good Of
our commonwealth at heart. Fire de-
OtEOyS wealth.. II IudkeS d ulS Iole
in the surplus wealth Of a nation.
The filling Of that hole is undertaken
by insurance companies and is ac-
complished by digging another hole in
a different class of wealth. 1t Is like
taking none out of one pocket to
make good the loss sustained by the
other pocket. A nation is taxed for
all that fire destroys. II a man will
safeguard his merchandise against the
Tox .o Oov ~ Nat0 and yoNtIa oai Tho
taking away Of thieves. why should
he not be quite as anxious to protect
his interests against fire. An ounce
Of prevention is worth many pounds
Of cure and in it's application is in
f1nitely less Objectionable than UNITY
ing the purse strings. The ostrich to
protect itself from harm will bury its
head in the sand. Its vitals are at the
mercy OF the enemy nevertheless. A
man will cover his property with a
policy Of insurance and then sit back
and say, Now ! am safe against loss"
But in the majority Of cases he has
only protected himself against q par
tial loss. His insurance Is wholly in
adequate but through it all he hes lost
sight Of the first real essential prin-
cipal Of safety-fire prevention. Is he
not then like the ostrich in that he
cannot see wherein his greatest dan
ger lies and where real protection may
be found: Has fire prevention any
effect upon credit? Indeed 1t has
quite Al much and even more than fire
protection, fire loss or waste. because
credits are built up largely upon the
surplus wealth of the country.
A fire loss takes from the surplus
wealth. Fire prevention does not dis
turb the surplus wealth. Fire preven-
ton as we'll as fire protection always
improves credit standing. You know
that standing timber Is not insurable
owing to lack Of fire prevention. The
man therefore who has standing tim
her only will find his credit very much
curtailed when he seeks to borrow
money upon-may I say-his stock in
trade. I suppose that a fire never
takes place but that the capital Of tho
one whose property il burned. is af-
fected to a greater or less degree.
Fire levies its tax not only upon the
one who suffers the fire. but upon all
Of US. 1t falls upon the rich and
poor. the worker with his hands and
the worker with his mind. II the I'm
surance companies suffer loss they
must replace that loss by higher in.
surance rates. Upon the insurance
business the stability and pernancncy
Of mercantile and manufacturing bust
ness must in a great rest.
Here is \ report OF fires for one year
in city: