South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-10
.IHJURANCE MEN
SAY CITY NEEDS
STANDARD RULES
Bureau Applicant For City
Electricians lob Wants Un-
derWriterS' National Wiring
Code Adopted by Ordinance.
BY JOIN HENRY zUvER.

A city ordinance providing a
building code for South Bend. and an
ordinance indorsing the national
slectrical code" for electrical wiring.
are among the first needs of this city.
With the emphasis on the electrical
eode," according to Fred G. Powell.
local manager OF the Sellers Indiana
Inspection bureau. This is the bureau
hat is making such a strong bid for
the appointment Of city electrician
and promises to fOregO the salary at
.achment, accepting inspection fees
instead, in order 10 bring electrical
wiring within the city within the rules
aid down by the National Board of
Fire Underwriters.
Announcement of the agitation in
tavor of turning the city electrical de-
partment over to this private enter
prise, a sort of auxiliary TO the fire
underwriters, as made in The News
Times Monday, was the immediate
cause of wave Of protest, City Elec-
lrician William Z. Williams accepting
the challenge as a criticism of his
work.
"It is not necessarily intended as
SUCH" says Mr. Powell, "but evident
iy South Bend has no basis to work
from, and that is what we want to es-
tablish. With a standard rule for
electrical wiring, and an inspector
ests more businesslike than political
TO see that ne does his work, a better
and less hazardous class Of work is
certain recult, and this means larger
safety for the buildings and lower
rate OF fire insurance"
Without statistics at hand, apply
ing Immediately TO South Bend or
Indiana. Mr.. Powell contends that an
undue percentage Of latter-day fires
are due TO defective electrical wiring.
Some State Figures.
However, from magazine before
him, he shows that in Ohio in Sep
tember. Il out OF 339 fires were due
90 defective wiring, and the loss was
S13.5O0.
In Maine, SO out OF 2.544 fires were
due TO the same cause, with a loss
OF $1s.451.
In Texas in three years there were
37S fires from defective electrical
wiring out of a total OF 1880. the
loss being S3S,S00.
Proper inspection 1t is cOntended
would have prevented practically all
OF this $4,000. which only a mere
bagatele as applied TO the whole coun-
try.
rity electrician has the backing OF the
South Bend and Mishawaka Under
writer association, and it is said, all
the underwriters in the state. 1t is
the Indiana & Michigan Electric Co.
which claims that every fire caused
by electricity. which must be due 10
defective wiring. Injuries It's business
by frightening someone else out or
wiring their home and buying their
Juice.
Manager Powell denies the claim OF
Electrician Williams that the under
taking is the result OF a compromise
between the city electrical supply
houses and contractors. but that on
the contrary il has come from the
Insurance men, and IS being suppl
mented by their customers.
POweI's attention was called TO
City Electrician Williams statement
that the city ordinance gave his Of
fee no control over specifications.
That Is exactly the trouble" said
the insurance man. south Bend needs
an ordinance standardiZing electrical
wiring, and inspectors empowered TO
see 10 il that all specifications and
work come up TO that standard before
any electrical current is turned ION.
The city ought 10 have a building
code also. and il would soon make a
lot OF difference in insurance rates"
The trouble. however. at the First
". r. church which Electrician VIII
lsams cited. is. that the specifications
are misleading one circuit OF
the wiring installed is good for
II lights. but the contractor pro-
posed 10 make Il do duty for 40
lights. which is upwards 10 four
times too much. There should be
at least four circuits" says Powell.
and with a standardizing ordinance
contractors would have 10 figure on
that basis"
IL Is the intention Of the insurance
men 10 push the appointment OF the
bureau. as they say. whether the
politicians like IL or not. 1T has
been said that n this goes through"
Mr. Powell admits. 1--WE will scour the
city and force a complete overhauling
OF old buildings and rewriting up TO
our standard but that is not true.
Some inspections viii be made, Il is