The Sentinel=record., 1914-01-04
CITY COUNCIL NOT TO CATER TO INSURANCE COMPANIES WITH.
 OUT HOPE OF RELIEF.
HOUSLEY TAKES THE FLOOR
Corps of Aldermen, Joined by Mayor McClendon and City Attorney, Pounce on Alderman Burgaurer's Attitude for the Underwriters.

War to the hilt on the insurance situation in Hot Springs was waged on the floor of the city council last night in a general attack waged on the various resolutions by Alderman Burgaurer who is championing the cause of the underwriters in that body and who last night, was not alone made the center for a focus of attack from other members of the city coun- cil, but from Mayor McClendon and City Attorney Mclaughlin as well.
 George w. Housley, member of the Board of Public Affairs, also took a hand on the matter, speaking from the standpoint of a citizen and tax rayer, and he directed his attack mainly to Alderman Burgaurer, when he asked the question of Mir Bur gaurer what interest he had in the old city hall building, and when that was not answered, asked the alder man why the rate on this building was reduced.
 "The rate was not reduced,' an swered MT. Burgaurer Tt was rais- cd 6 cents per hundred"
 Yes" responded Mir Housley, "and a building better than the old city hall building ever was, owned by my father. was increased from $1.50 to $51T"
 There was a sharp tilt between MT Housley and Mr Burgaurer and the former claimed that the building in which he intimated MT Burgaurer had an interest, had within it as ten ants a printing office an undertaking house, and a clothes cleaning and pressing establishment He stated no such hazards were in the building raised that he had reference to.
 (Here it might be stated, that re. gardless of the rate on the old city hall building proper, the rate of at least one tenant was raised within the buildingJ
 Tie light came up when the Bur Eauer ordinance requiring the Board of Public Affairs to purchase a trac- tor for the aerial truck was taken rp on the calendar Immediately Alder men Reynolds, Williamson, Rigsbee and Peden began firing questions at MT Burgaurer all wanting to know what benefits the citizens would be guaranteed in reduced insurance rates if they spent the city money for this improvement.
 Mayor McClendon called Alderman Reynolds to the chair and from the floor he called attention of the coun- cil to the letters he had exchanged with mayors of other cities, all show ing that where the cities had made large expenditures for further fire fighting apparatus they were still to he charged higher insurance rates.
 The people are not going to stand for this most gigantic robbing scheme ever perpetrated said Mayor McClen- don. 'It is true that the poorer peo- ple, with mortgages on their property will have to pay these eXorOitaht rates but they will not stand such oppression long, and l for one am against doing anything that will ald the companies in the enforcement ol their designs"
 Mayor McClendon called the atten- tion of the council to the situation Ill title Rock, where the administration had assumed a large debt for hre- fighting materials, only to have rates raised. Pine Bluff had the same eX- Lerience. He believed that the peo- ole had right to relief, He dld not believe that to meet the conditions ol the underwriters would be any guar antee that the rates would be decreas- ed here
 q think the best editorial l ever read" said Attorney Mclaughlin was in the Sentinel-Record thls morning on the subject of the fire in' surance situation 1 believe that no better service could be given the peo- pie than to have marked copies oi that sent to every insurance company operating in the state. The situation is one that demands prompt atteh tion. The rates are being forced uI higher and higher, and at the same time the underwriters are here max ing demands for a large expense o' the money of the people, without or fering any guarantee that they VII receive any benefits in reductions.
 The discussion had taken such g range that the defeat of the Bur gaurer ordinance was certain had