New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-03
CAN SAVE s3OO,0OO,0OO
ON FIRES, SAYS JOHNSON
Public Needn't Pay Insurance.
Premiums, the New York ,
Commissioner Asserts.
WASTE is NOT INS0LUBLE
Kenlon Tells the Visiting Chiefs
and Engineers in Convention
of the Great Activity
of Incendiaries.

THE American public pays some $780,
| 10000 a year in fire insurance premiums.
| When the American public fully under
| stands that II really does not have 10
| pay this each year il will stop paying.
This was the statement Of Fire Com
| missioner Joseph Johnson yesterday at
| the convention here of fire engineers and
| chiefs of departments.
You men who head the fire depart
ments of our cities IN the United States.
| he said. ARE well aware our greatest
unsolved problem is that of national hre
waste. You are well aware OF the enor-
nous economic, commercial and indus
| trial loss occasioned by fire in the United
| States Our national fire waste Is not
| insoluble Already a great change Is
being wrought in the question. The en-
tire country has awakened 10 the fact
that many fires take place which can be
prevented.
| Then Commissioner Johnson described
the new methods used in New York since
the fire prevention work started as the
result Of legislation passed in the fall OF
| 1911 He said there are 5000 separate
loft buildings in New York City and that
| from Is to 20 per cent Of al! hres are
caused by carelessness in throwing away
lighted matches cigars and cigarettes
| II was a match thus carelessly thrown
| that caused the Equitable Building fire.
Commissioner johnson asserted.
In the morning the Grand Central
Palace was crowded when John kenlon'
chief Of the New York Fire Department.
discussed the frebug and the great loss
caused by incendiary fires in New York.
in which he said that more than 3oi3 IN
cendlary fires were started In the city IN
one year. One-quarter Of the annual ere
loss. he said, amounting to more than
1900 90, was due TO just such fires.
"The professional hrebug is deadly
menace TO the community. a cunning ana
constituencies criminal, who works IN Sc
cret and is wholly reckless Of the lives
he may endanger." the chief said. 1t Is
my sober judgment that In the city oil
New York 36i3 OF the fires in year were
probably deliberately planned. The fun
force and significance Of this crime may
be driven home when IL IS realized that
fires ordinarily start at night. between
o'clock ard midnight.
During the year referred 10 there were
but hfty-seven arrests for arson. with
fifteen simila- cases carried over from the
preceding year. making seyenty-two cases
with twenty-three convictions. Severer
penalties. continued activity on the part
Of public officials and fun and complete
cooperation with the.l by the insurance
companies as well as self-protection by
| the owners Of the buildings by discrimi-
nation I'm the selection OF tenants would
| tend 10 stamp out the crime OF arson
Frank Lock, New York manager OF the
| Atlas Insurance Company, Ltd, OF Lon
don. read n paper on The Relation OF
| Fire Insurance to Incendiarism. HIS
paper dealt with the question OF riaks on
the physical hazard and moral and tenn
peramental hazards. He gave the motives
for incendiarlsm as revenge. spite, insan-
ity. weak nlndedness, drunkenness, the
desire to cover up theft or murder and
profit through the payment OF Insurance
money for the fire loss.
Thomas J. Ahearn, State Fire Marshal.
whose speech was read by Eugene D.
Stocker, his assistant. said the loss per
capita in the United States by fire was
seven and one-half times greater than
the loss In European countries Better
| construction, more care and better educa-
ton on the subject, he said, were re-
sponsible for the small losses in Europe.
The convention was adjourned until $50
a. m Friday. when several papers will
be read and officers elected.