The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-12-01

which commodities are valued. The
| doctor has his standard of fees, as
also has the lawyer. And then the
| insurance companies have fixed
standard of valuation and compiling
| of rates.
The Different Elements.
He showed a chart dividing the
rates into five different elements
The first was class which was
subdivided into private" public"
mercantile" special" In making
rates, private buildings were con-
sidered as another class from pub
lie, etc. The next division was
construction" in which were CLASH
fled the different materials of which
the buildings were built. This class
was subdivided into free burning,
moderate and non-combustible. The
third class was protection, which
was subdivided into public and pri
vate.
In considering public protection,
the agent would consider what wa
ter works the city had, what kind
of fire department, etc., and in con-
sidering private protection, they
would think of the private water
and sprinkling systems, the teach
ing of employs in fire drill, etc. He
said that there were only two risks
in the city of Mankato who have
private sprinkling system, these
being the L. Patterson Mercantile
company and the knitting mills.
One of the Serious Problems.
The next division was "occupance"
which was subdivided into cause,
combustibility and damage ability
This was one of the most serious
problems as occupants were contin-
ually changing, and continually NOV
ing.
The fifth element considered was
one of the most important, and this
was exposure, subdivided into radi-
ated, absorbed, transmitted, and last
conflagration. He took these topics
up in their proper order, discussing
each. In considering the radiating
abilities, the height and size of the
building were considered as well as
the material Absorbed exposure
was case of building next to
burning building, absorbing heat
and catching fire from that build
ing, cracking windows, etc. In trans
mitted exposure a third building
from the burning one, would catch
fire from the absorbed building or
the second building, the fire thus
passing. from one to the other. Con-
f1agration was the most serious.
This was where a large number of
buildings burned at once, starting
from some definite point.
Thus in arranging rates, these
methods of standardization were
used. The rates in other words were
made according to the conditions of
the property insured. When dan
gerous gas jets or improper electric
wiring, or poor stove pipes were
found, these considerations were
taken into mind, and reports and
accounts made of them.
Minnesota Not the Lowest.
According to the rules the United
States has the highest standards in
the country, and in this country
Minnesota is not the lowest by any
means. In making the standards
the population is also counted, and
from this is figured the fire prOtec-
ton. For example city of the
size of Mankato should be able to
ter of $50 gallons at eighty pounds
water pressure for five hours contin-
ually
All these considerations and con-
ditions are printed by the assOcia-
ton and then these reports sold to
the various insurance companies as
guides in making out rates for GER
tain communities. Thus the reports
of this association when published
resembles Dunn & Bradstreet's re-
port on the financial conditions of
the country.
The gross ratio in Minnesota for
the last number of years has been
five per cent and this rate is fol-
lowed in making out policies. Thus
it can be seen that the insurance
business is a hazardous one, with
not as much profit as some seem to
think. A few big fires would wipe
out the entire profit of the compa-
MES for a single state for one year.
Mr.. Fisher read a report from the
commissioners at South Dakota,
showing statistics of the fires in
that state during the past year that
were preventable. In all, these fires
amounted to 612 with enormous
losses, and each one being prevent
able.
Paper Is Read.
J. l.. King of Minneapolis then read
a paper as follows:
"As you have already been made
aware, the Minnesota Fire Proven
ton association was brought into be-
ing through the efforts of fire in
surance field men, citizens of the
state of Minnesota. These men saw,
because of their unusual opportuni-
ties for observation, that the
wealth of the state is being wasted
by a multitude of preventable fires
and they felt that there was a duty
encumbent upon them, not alone as
servants of the corporations which
they represent but as citizens of
the great commonwealth of Mime
sofa, to go out and seek and find
and point out these preventable
causes of fires so that the resources
of the state may be conserved for
all of our people. Almost every
fire has in it the possibilities of
great conflagration and each citizen
Is responsible to his neighbors at
least morally SO, for the condition
OF his premises.
you as an individual may be
amply protected by insurance but