The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-03
FIRE PREVENTION.
by y. j. Hayward, President Fire
Prevention Association.

~ eho fiesiuent ana Gentlemen,
Members of the South Carolina
State Firemen's Association:
IL would be we'll .as a matter of in
PRODUCTION. to say that while Presi-
dent of the South Carolina Prevention
Association. j am also Special Agent
OF fire insurance company. A Spe-
eial Agent Is the immediate represent
ative I'm the field employed by an in
surance company to act for the COM
pany in the selection and appoint
ment Of agents. the inspection of bus
iness. the adjustment of losses and
such other business which can not be
transacted intelligently by the Home
Office without advices from the field.
i make this explanation in order to
avoid any accusation of sailing under
false colors. will make no state
ment that do not earnestly and sim
cerely believe to be true and which can
not be proven to the satisfaction Of
any unprejudiced man who Is suff-
ciently interested to investigate.
Without attempting to express in
words the idea OF the average citizen
regarding insurance companies, wish
to say that fire insurance Is the basis
and foundation Of commercial credit,
as business is done today. No mer-
chant could secure the shipment Of
merchandise without the protection
AFFORDED him by sufficient amount
OF insurance; no bank could afford TO
loan more than tho value of the land
on any building or property; and
when we consider these facts, IL Is
surprising to witness the arbitrary
and unreasonable Acts of our legis-
latures and to hear the criticisms
which are passed on this important
department of our commercial sys-
tenn by the average citizen. who. how
ever well-informed on other subjects.
seems to lack the most rudimentary
knowledge OF how or why the insur-
ance business Is conducted. There
are. approximately. 1876 insurance
companies doing business in the State
OF South Carolina, with about 75 OF
these companies members Of the or
ganization which makes the rates on
property. 1t Is absolutely necessary
that insurance companies should be
prepared at all times to make good
the liabilities which they assume The
connagration at San Francisco put a
number of companies out of business.
absolutely broke" There was not a
single Board company forced to sus-
pend business on account Of the loss
at San Francisco. This confiagration
was the supreme test OF the solvency
of the companies transacting business
In the State Of California. and was the
best possible evidence Of the advan-
tases TO be derived from the iegiti-
mate observance of adequate rates;
whereas the number OF companies In
this State and throughout the country
who are not members Of any rating
accept business at what they consider
sufficient rate. and thus prevent any
abnormal charge being made effect
i've by any organization whatever.
The companies. almost without ex-
ception. maintain a staff OF inspectors
throughout the territory in which they
operate. These inspectors are fur
nished with memoranda from the
Home Office of such business as Is writ
ten by the local agents in the various
towns throughout this and other
States. These men make a personal
inspection OF such property and rec
ommend certain improvements. The
lazy or Indifferent local agent or the
economical and short-sighted proper
ty owner thinks that the Improvement
Is triing and unnecessary. and the
property owner will change his busi-
ness To another agent. or the agent
will put his business with another
company. thus avoiding making any
correction. With the volume OF
business done by the majority Of the
companies. these inspectors can not
make very frequent visits, and II Ia an
easy matter. when the assured or an
agent IL determined not to- make an
Improvement. for n defect TO remain
indefinitely. Under such circum-
stances. II became necessary To- devise
some method which would protect
the companies from this system. The
method devised is. the South Carolina
Fire Prevention Association. The ac-
tive membership OF this Association
consists OF the trained inspectors Of