The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-05-28
BARRE MEN PROTEST
INCREASED FIRE RATE
Speaking for Barre Granite Manufacture
ers' Association, Secretary Wishart De-
tlares Barre Should Not Be Asked to
Pay for Sins of Omission of Others.

dares Barre Should Not Be Asked to
Pay for Sins of Omission of Others.
Culminative evidence bearing on the
alleged unfairness of the New England
Insurance Exchange in jacking up the
1 insurance rates on stoneshed property in
Barre has been compiled by the Granite
Manufacturers association and part OF
the stoneshed owners case is presented
in statement which Secretary Charles
H. Wishart made to The Tines to-day
| Agitation against what the manufactur-
ers claim is an unjustifable raise started
when the exchange announced an in
crease of % per cent on property May |.
| Heavy losses in the Montpelier North
| field, East Barre and Willamstown
stoneshed belts is said to be the com
pelling reason for the jump in the price
OF insurance.
The local manufacturers claim that
Barre is made the scapegoat for the sins
of omission in the other nearby towns,
inasmuch as this city has gone to the
expense of maintaining one of the fin
est small fire departments in New Eng
land. The Granite Manufacturers asso-
citation points to the unusually excellent
record of the local department and the
resulting small number OF serious fires
in the stoneshed districts.
When interviewed to-day, Secretary
Wishart was ready to make plain state
ment OF the contention which the asso-
citation is making with reference to the
raise in rates. He says;
Barre manufacturers are up in arms
Is IL.
cent in insurance rates on stoneshed
property as proposed by the New Eng
land Insurance Exchange. The reason
for this raise in rates on stoneshed prop
Herty in Barre is not apparent, and is eer-
tainly not justified by the losses which
have occurred on this class OF property,
as far as Barre is concerned.
"In order to prove this assertion,
quote the following facts and figures
covering period of 10 years, as shown
in annual reports Of the city OF Barre
submitted by Chief Gladding OF the fire
department. ] am informed by the chief
that these figures have been carefully
compiled and that the item insurance
paid was obtained from insurance agents
of the companies Interested.
"These figures are interesting and
show that during the last 10 years. there
were four years in which no losses on
stone-shed property were paid, and also
that during two of those four years not
a single alarm was recorded for o stone
shed fire, in spite of the fact that dur
ing those two years, 70 alarms were re-
sponded to for fires in other property.
This is certainly very satisfactory rec.
ord.
"The facts and figures also show that
the FIRE in the Bolster sheds, so-caled,
in 1905. was the only total loss sustained
on stoneshed property in Barre since the
Mackie Hussey shed was destroyed in
1898. The reports also show that the
Bolster fire was recorded as being OF in.
eendiary origin. ~
"The only apparent reason which
prompted the insurance exchange To raise
local rates is on account of the fact that
they have sustained heavy losses on
stoneshed property in surrounding cities
and towns. The only other reason for
local rates might be found in
the fact that for some years back Barre
has been paying a rate of rs cents on
residential property while its sister city.
has enjoyed rate of 60
cents. Barre awakened to this fact
short time ago and ] understand the GO
cent rate now applies.
as this loss of revenue to be made up
by increasing the rates on stoneshed
1t would appear more reason
able that the insurance companies should.
decrease the rates in order that Barre
might be reimbursed for the excess in
surance it has paid over the go cent
rate.
"As far as the losses on stoneshed
property outside of Barre are concerned,
we refuse to answer, and we strenuously
object to having our rates in Barre based
upon the losses in other cities and towns
of Vermont. Are Barre rates to be in
creased to even up the losses which in
companies have sustained in
East Barre, Wiliamstown, Northfeld
and Montpelier? Surely this is not JUS
tice. In some of these places the fire !
protection may not be what it should |
be-but Barre is not to blamel
LET each tub stand on its own bot |
tom.' and adjust the rates on the merits |
Of the fire. risk in each locality. APP |
1arently the New England exchange has !
igured the thing out on a cold matter |
,f-fact basis; simply setting dowa the |
.otal loss on this class of property in
Vermont, and figuring out rate that
would meet the loss, with absolutely no
consideration for the fire protection af-
orded by one community as compared
With another. Consistency, thou art a
ewel"
BARRE manufacturers who own stone
he'd property of any size have within
,ear and half expended from $500 to
$50 each for re-wiring. and other
hanges in order to comply with requests
md demands from the insurance ex-
hange. They have always been, and
till are, willing to make all necessary
hanges to lessen fire risk but their pa
ience and ability to withstand imposi-
ion is about at an end.
Meetings are to be held shortly and
interesting developments are to be ex-
'ccted. When you stop to realize that
wo OF Barre's manufacturing concerns
ave paid fire insurance premiums dur
ng the past ten years for an amount
quail approximately to $4,000 in ex-