Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-09-23
PLAN IS FOR
A FIRE DAY.
SUGGEST GOVERNOR ISSUE A
PROCLAMATION FOR ONE.
such WOULD BE PROFITABLE
Fire Insurance Committee of Port
land Association of Credit Men
Urges Importance of Prevention of
Fire Losses Throughout State.

The local Commercial Club has re-
ceived a letter from the Portland AS
sociation of Credit Men in which
they urge a Fire Day" to be recog
nized on the second Saturday of next
month, for which they would have
united cooperative effort. They also
would have a more decided effort
made in the way of fire rejection by
the public. The letter in full fol-
lows:
do you know that the annual fire
loss in the United States is $2.51 for
each inhabitant? Do you know that
the fire loss in Oregon for 1911 was
81 ,653,4S7 or over $2.45 for each
man, woman and child in the state?
This includes only the losses paid by
insurance companies, taking no ac-
count of all the losses not covered by
| insurance.
Insurance Companies Gain.
Many think insurance companies
pay these losses. They do not. They
only collect from the many and pay
to the few You and we pay insur-
ance premiums, and premiums pay
the losses. This question of fire loss
and fire prevention is therefore OF
| intense interest to each OF us.
Where they have been carefully
kept, records show that more than
half the fires are due to carelessness
and could have been prevented; care
| lessness with matches, carelessness
with cigars or cigarettes, or careless
ness in allowing rubbish to collect.
1.-The Portland Association of Credit
Men believe that with a united CO.
operative effort, conditions can be
greatly improved, insurance premi-
ums cut down, much property saved
and many people spared an awful
death, or the fate of being marred for
life. We know that conditions can
be bettered in Portland and we be-
lieve they can all over the state. And
we are sure that a united effort all
along the line will bring better re-
suits than the individual effort OF
each one alone. 1t has been suggest
ed that as a start for a pull alto
gether, we have a Fire Day. say
about the second Saturday in Octo-
ber. On this day every citizen can
! clean up his premises, the street ad-
Joining and the city cart away such
rubbish as cannot be burned.
Teaches Valuable Lesson.
I'VE suggest that you enlist the
interest and aid of the ladies'; they
are a power for great good when II
comes to a question of neatness ano
tidiness. Arouse the boys and girls;
they will be a big help and at the
same time it will teach them valu'
able lesson in cleanliness, civic pride
and safety.
Let each city and town in the
state pride itself on its neat and we'll
kept yards and streets, and it will moi
be long until the whole state will be
heralded far and wide as a model oi
, cleanliness. And with better physi
cal conditions will come better mora
conditions, and with both of these
there will grow up better boys anc
better girls, and they are the bes
products of a state.
, Will Ask Governor.
, Our association is asking the gov
, ernor to issue a proclamation settint
aside the second Saturday of October
as Fire Day Can we rely on you
earnest cooperation and will yol
kindly write the governor urginI
him to do this? Get your local pa
= pers to emphasize the subject. Hav'
the teachers talk it to their pupils
and the ministers urge the movemen
from their pulpits.
Our committee will be glad to en-
tertain any suggestion that will aiC
the movement. Other states, espec
tally Nebraska, Wisconsin mad Ohio
have derived great good from tn
plan. Let us make Oregon the frs
state on the coast to take it up"
! This letter was signed by H. n
! Graham, r. B. Poucher and E. M
! Underwood, comprising the fire in
! surance committee of the Portlan
Association of Credit Men,