The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-20
FIRE PREvENTIO
Insurance Men Favor Fire
Marshal Law for Kansas.
Held Banquet Last Night
Those Who Spoke.

Arguments favoring the proposed fire
marshal law for Kansas, whereby u
state officer is empowered with author
ity to investigate mysterious fires with
view of putting an end to 1ncendiar-
ism and a plea for a wider education
of the average man on the suDjecL OF
fire prevention, ended the annual meet
ing of the Kansas State Fire Prev en-
ton association last night. The argu-
ments were presented in after-d1nner
speeches at the Elks club, following an
informal dinner in which half a nun
dred members of the association ana
their friends participated.
Among the speakers were George It.
McDermott, of Topeka, who talked
about 1.-THE other Fellows Fault and
urged that it is almost as reprehensible
for a man to occasion his neighbor n
serious loss by being careless with fire
as If is to cause his neighbor'S death
through similar carelessness. He de-
scribed the law relating to fires, and
,zecIared the man who carelessly per-
Ynits a fire to break out is liable civilly
for all damages that may accrue. He
urged a wider education Of people gen.
orally.
Ernest Palmer, assistant general
counsel of the National Board of Fire
Underwriters of Chica go, talked about
the difficulties encountered by local as
sociations. He said these difficulties are
summed up in prejudice, carelessness
and indifference. He declared the aver
age man is careless and Indifferent be-
cause he feels that the fire insurance
companies will pay the loss, anyway
and does not realize that so much of
the wealth of the world is destroyed
every time there is a fire.
c. G.. B1akely talked briefly about
Iegisla ton. promising to aid in the pass
age of a state fire marshal law, such
as is in effect in surrounding states.
w. W. Webb gave some startling fig
ures on incendiary fires in Topeka dur
ing the last eleven months, declaring
that there have been 21 such fires.
which have cJ'lsed a total damage of
more than ST 900. and not one of the
incendiaries has been caught. He pro-
posed raising a fund of 81 900 from
among the business men of Topeka to
employ expert detectives to unravel the
mysteries of the next fire that seems
to have had an incendiary origin, and
declared the existence of such a fund
would act as a warnllg to would-be
fire-bugs
A committee to arrange for a big
fire prevention congress. to be held in
Topeka next winter. was appointed. and
arrangements probably will be made for
the meeting. The committee is COM
posed of WILDER D. Perry. of Topeka
chairman: Charles F. Hardy Topeka:
c. W. Fort. Kansas CITY: G. F. Mingen-
back. Mcpherson: ". NJ Van VaIkep-
Topeka. and Sam F. Woo1ard. Wichita
The next meeting of the association
probahlvN viii be held in Topeka next May,
the bylaws of the organization providing
for seIniannual meetings
The new officers chosen bv tie aSSocia-
ton are as follows: President. Charles F
Hardy. Topeka; vice president, C. G.
Whipple. Topeka: secretary. f. C. Fox
Topefs. The retiring president is s. w
Atkinson of Lawrence. and the retiring
vice president r. d Air of Kansas CITY
Mr.. Fox succeeds himself as secretary.
The various standing committees were
chosen last night They are as follows:
Executive committee. c. G. Whipple
chairman: w 3. Gaschi. R. c. Alexander
W. NJ Gregory. of Topeka and z. D. MARI,