Bisbee daily review., 1912-08-20
NEW FIRE RATES
 NOW OPERATIVE
 WITHIN THE CIIY
Substantial Reductions Evi- dent in Many Instances; Agents Work on
 Schedule

H was received Sunday and local agents are figuring to ascertain what the re- ductions are in particular instances. In the cases of dwelling houses the decrease in rates Is smaller than for brick and stone buildings in the bus mess districts in which, in some in- stances very substantial reductions II have been made.
 It will take several days work to Il determine the average reduction .n II insurance rates in Bisbee. The new schedule of rates differs widely in I some instance from the old and the !. different characters of risk will have | to be figured out before an approach l to the average reduction can be ob- | | tained. Roughly speaking the dwell ! | ing house reduction is about ten per l cent of the premium while in business ] | houses in some instances there have | | been decreases of as great as forty ! per cent of the premium. There are i instances, however, where a change in the nature of the occupancy of the building has been, taken into consii- eration, is found to have made the risk more hazardous and has brought about small increases but these are the few exceptions and the reductions granted in the great majority of in | stances amounts to considerable. l How Reductions Made
 In figuring the rate on a frame
 dwelling house with brick chimney exposed by two other frame dwellings the old method of figuring was to ! take the rate and add fifty per cent. ' Under the new schedule thirty-five
 instead of fifty per cent is added. This means a reduction of ten per
 cent on the premium, that is where premium was formerly $60 it would now be $54 In other instances there
 is a greater percentage of reduction,
 where the hazard is less. and where
 the hazard is greater the reduction is less but the average reduction on dwellings is at least nine per cent.
 In the case of brick and stone bus mess blocks on Main Street and ? Brewery Gulch the change is still more satisfactory Nearly every mer- chant will find that he has been ma , terially benefited. One well known , Main Street merchant figured yester- D day morning that his premium had , been cut thirty six per cent It will , make a difference of between S100
 and S150 to him in the cost of insur-
 ance. Others have been benefited to
 still greater extent, one stating his
 reduction was forty per cent and an
 other that his reduction was sS per lSl000 carried,
 End is Not Yet
 The insurance committee and the
 board of directors of the Commercial
 club expressed disappointment as to
 the dwelling house rate and blamed
 the fact that when the inspection was
 made the tanks had been lowered to
 a figure that had nOtspreviously been known in a long period by reason of
 the use of water for the Tombstone Canyon work. They had hoped for a
 reduction of at least twenty-five per cent on dwelling houses. Naturally
 they are glad to obtain any reduction but they are like Oliver Twist and want more. As to the business sec
 tions it is different and they are bet ter satisfied.
 The Commercial club directors state that this they consider only a be- ginning. They have plans that will further reduce residential rates and these include better water facilities, fire marshal and more stringent reg
 ulations relative to the storage of , waste or any inflamable materials in i the residential districts similar to
 those now in operation in the fire , limits. Secretary Gray states that , the council will be urged to obtain
 more water by an added storage res ervolr. The matter of a tunnel res
 ervoir has been presented to that body and will be further urged. It } is understood the council is contem-
 plating some plan for increasing the - supply of water for fighting fires and 3 may soon announce a plan. Mayor ] Williams Is much interested in the
 matter.
 Fl Paso secured a reduction through
 the appointment of fire marshal and [. Bisbee might do the same and more |. stringent ordinances would have their 2 effect also. The Marshal would see that the water in the tanks be not ! lowered beyond a safe figure by use e for other than fire purposes and the
 club is informed that the fact that q requirements as to water supply had s not been met or there would have
 been a larger reduction. This en- l courages the club to further efforts s along this line and those efforts it 2 will certainly make.
 oI Credit Where Due
 o 4 member of the insurance com 1, mittee of the club expressed his sat ' isfaction at the results that have been i, lobtained We have not obtained all ]. we asked" said he, but we have ob- ', tained something and that is better !, than has ever been done before in a years of effort. The Commercial club e is to be congratulated. This reduc
 tion means the saving of several
 thousand dollars annually to the
 people of the city, especially to the
 heavier tax payers. We wish the re a lduction was of greater benefit to the . people generally, the householders, i. but at least they have something and . the club hopes to get them more. And 2 so give the club credit for obtaining something that others have always q failed to get and while giving the cred r. it do not forget Barney Norton, the e fire chief for he has worked tirelessly o in this matter. without him it is [
 question of whether the club would
 have succeeded. and he deserves al
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