Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1913-08-29

and thirty-five others.
If this were the result of some un
controllable cause, or if we still be
lieved in the doctrine of fataHsn
with respect to the causes of fires
the lethargic attitude of our people
toward a reduction of the fire waste
would be explainable, if not excusa
ble But we are able to say today
with a considerable degree of def
niteness, that at least sixty per cent
of our fire loss is due TO easily pre-
ventable causes"
In commenting on some OF the
most common cause S of fires during
the past year, the report slaborates
as follows: "We can only mention
few of the causes, and those but
briefly Carelessness with rubbish is
prolific source of fires. By way OF
illustration note the city of Constant
inople. That city has been known
| the world over as an extremely fill
thy dirty, careless city. That city
aas burned and been rebuilt ten
times since 1892. There is a large
group OF causes of fires in buildings
which might be classed generally un-
| der the head of defective conStruc-
| ton, but of which We can only say
| It is a result of inexcusable carele SIS
ness. And the unfailing remedy for
carelessness is too obvious to men
| ton. There were also, last year, 239
Tres reported to this department as
caused by ''Defective Chimneys"
causing losses amounting to $685., ,265.
| Then there were 67 fires reported as
resulting from Chimney Sparks, .
causing losses of $49,690 Thus we
see, there were in all 406 fires, Cor
| more than one-sixth of all the fire S
| for the year,, involving losses of
| $374,955 (or about one-tenth of the
years aggregate of fire lossas3 which
lated fire causes, both of which could
have been readily eliminated by prop
or care and attention. Just one more
conspicuous example OF fire cause
resulting from carelessneSs of the
! grossest kind. There were 104 fires
during the year, involving losses of
| $83,2 ,215 caused by Stoves too near
| Wood" 63 fires causing loss, S of $52;-
095, resulting from "Stove-pipe too
near Wood" and 29 fires from "Heat-
| ng-pipes too near Wood" with loss
IS of $70,365. Thus these three close
| y related causes, where the remedy
| is so obvious fEom the very cause
assigned, were the origin of 1876 fires,
totalling $171,0S In fire losses"
AS to the past years activities of
the department, the report stat s.
that there have been $3.50 individual
inspections of premises made by dep
uties in 1886 different cities and vii
lagos; Whcih would make an average
Of sos per month. Correction Of de
LCCbo idu III liOoI INSTANCES pS~h
made promptly and ehe>rfully on the
oral request of the inspector. How
ever, in 1439 instances. it was most
| necessary to serve written orders for
the elimination of the fire hazards
specified thereinx which would make
monthly average of about 120 or
dePs.
A detailed list of fires investigat-
ed by the department deputies dur
ing the twelve-month is given, show
| ing that 246 fires were investigated
4 monthly average of 20H fires. I'm
der the fixed policy of the depart
ment to only commence prosecution
where the nature of the evidence
would give a reasonable assurance
| of convicting the defendants, these
I Investigations had only resulted in
38 prosecutions for arson. In 19 of
| these cases convictions had bene Sc
cured and sentences followed to var
ious terms of Imprisonment; in 4
other cases the defendants were in
carcerated in Insane Hospitals;
while in Z cases the defendants were
bound over by the examining magis-
trate and their cases are still pend
ing for trial. The other 8 cases were
either dismissed on preliminary ex
animation, or the defendants dis
charged after a regular jury trial had
been had. When one considers the in
herent difficulty of securing direct
evidence in this class Of secret
crimes, the above results are doubt
less fully as satisfactory as could
be expected.
The annual report closes by civ
ing classified tables of the states
fire losses for the year, giving the
total number Of fires, where damage
exceeded $500 in each case, as 235;
involving property losses of S3,SS6,
420. This shows a reduction of prop
|, or+x, loccoc oc comnarod with 1919 n