The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-08
UTAH WILL OBSERVE
| FIRE PREvENT|OVDAy
Expected That People Cell
orally Will Heed ProcIalna-
ton of Governor.
TO MINIMIZE HAZARDS
Universal Cleaning of Prem
ises Urged; Annual Loss
IS Appalling.
TO MINIMIZE HAZARDS


day in Utah Just forty years age
occurred rhc great Chicago fire, with
appalling loss OF life and property In
common with the executives of several
other states, Governor Spry has des
ignated The anniversary of that great
disaster as day upon which certain
principles of fire prevention are to be
; taught aud practiccd. 1t is believed
that the proclamation of the governor
will bc generally needed and that the
people of Utah Yill realize their duty
and responsibility and rally to thc as
sistancc Of those who are earnestly
striving TO lessen the amount OF fire
loss, which is so great throughout the
country rs 10 constitute n national
menace.
Following the governors suggestion,
ihe state insurance commissioner mas
published Il pamphlet. which has been
distributed TO thc schools OF the state
for the use nud assistance Of the teach
crs in presenting the great and lmpor-
tant subject Of fire prevention to their
pupils. Still further reinforcement of
the governor S suggestion comes from
the Salt Lake Commercial club In a
letter which follows:
Willard Done, Slate Insurance Commits
| sioncr. Salt Lake City, Utah
Dear Sr-I wish to offer word of
commendation for your efforts in the
establishment Of fire prevention day. The
Commercial club is Interested in all
movements which add TO the safety and
beauty Of the city. Your plan 10 have
tho property owners clean UP their prem
ises is commendable from a sanitary
The prevention of fire is good business
| policy. and your efforts will receive the
| support OF all good business men. Very
| sincerely yours
], e. GAME. Secretary.
National Problem,
The great problem of national fire
waste has been given moro attention
previous time in history. Walter L..
Fisher. secretary of thc interior. deliy
cred striking address OH this subject
before the National Fire Protective
association MAY a, 1911, express
ing the interest the federal government
is taking in this direction. and the II
tai Importance of the subject Some
Of the statistics given in this address
arc startling. Here is brief extract:
"1f the government should sudden
ly lay an annual tax Of $251 on every
man. woman and child IN the United
States on a promise Of spending the
money for some useful purpose, that
promise would not avail against the
storm Of protest which would be
aroused. Nevertheless, q tax which In
the aggregate amounts TO that is be-
ing paid by the people of tins country.
| 1t is expended not in productive enter
prise, but in death and destruction. aud
AN even larger sum is annually expcnd-
| cd upon fire protection and insurance
premiums. Not only is this property
| L., I,. hut IL
| ton, annually 1900 persons give up
their lives and nearly 5000 arc injured
in fires,
Figures Are Appalling.
"Possibly in no other direction is
the national habit Of waste more clear
ly exemplifcd than in the comparative
Indifference with which VIC permit
such sacrifice. In no other civil
ized country are conditions so bad as
! they are here.
"Thc most comprehensive statement
of the conditions as they exist in the
United States, of which | have knowi-
edge, is contained in bulletin No. 41S.
entitled The Fire Tax and Waste of
Structural Materials in the United
| States published last year by the
the interior. This bulletin states that
THE actual fire losses due TO the de-
struction of buildings and their contents
amounted (ip 1907. the latest year for
which statistics are available) TO S2l5,-
| 0S4,I a per capita loss for the
| United States of $2.5l. The per capita
| losses in the cities of the six leading
| European countries amounted 10 but
So cents. or about one.cighth OF the per
capita loss sustained in the United
! States.
"But this is not all the loss. The
| geological survey bulletin goes on TO
say that III that year the total cost OF
| fires. excluding those Of forest fires
aud marine losses. but including cost of
fire protection. due to bad construc-
tion and excess premiums over insur
ance paid. amounted III one year (1907)
to more than $456, SO ,000-a tax on the
| people exceeding the total value esti
mated for the gold. silver, copper and
States in that year. IN the four wears
| that have elapsed since these statistics
were obtained the loss proportionately
has not decreased.
Citizens Have Responsibility.
1t is no exaggeration. in viey OF
these statistics, according tn fire in
surancc mon, 10 say shat the Inaugural
ton of Fire Prevention dny is one of
the most important movements in the
| history Of tho state. If the citizens
generally will follow the suggestion or
the governor and give attention to
cleaning premises. putting in order
stoves. furnaces and flucs and remov-
inp as manV as possible OF tho common
fire hazards that now menace prop
ertv. especially in the cities. there is
no doubt that excellent results will fol
low The future will he taken care
of by the instruction Of the children
in the fundamental principles Of fire
prevention. and by their being placed
under n pledge to do everything pos
sibc now and III the future TO aid in
the prevention of fires and the lessen
ING Of the fire waste, There seems no
qood reason why Utah, with its cxcei-
lent fir,-fiGhtiug facilities and its nat
urnl advantages, should not be the most
progressive and fortunate OF the states
in this important direction.