The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-11-20

within his own power to have his risk
written on the basis rate, if he cares
to remove all defects charged for.
So-cGlied Gre-proof buildings,
equipped with automatic sprinklers,
have a much lower base rate for the
analysed hazard than an ordinary
mercantile or slow combustion build
ing The writer recently had the
T rare privilege Of inspecting from
basement to roof n fire proof building
situated on one Of the principal bus
mess streets of st. Joseph, No. This
/ building is occupied as wholesale
/ dry goods store, and is equipped with
automatic sprinklers with STANDINGS
and hose on each of the eight floors,
each floor is so built as to drain itself
should fire originate on any one of
them, so that water will not drip
through and damage goods on the floor
below. The stairways are of iron.
built in brick and concrete, with self
closing fire doors at each landing; the
elevator shaft is completely enclosed
IN tile, the openings on each landing
being enclosed with wire glass doors;
all floors are concrete and tile and |
window castings are metal, etc.
The owner Of this building paws a
rate Of SOC per 81 900 Of insurance.
and the rate on contents is Sl.2O per
$1,000. Needless to say, the assured
IL satisfied with his rate on both build
ing and contents, This building illus
trates the value of superior construc-
ton. The insurance companies can
and do make more clear money on
this risk at Sc and l2c per 500. 90
of insurance on such risk than on
one rated at Sl.00 and 81 so per $780,
90 of insurance.
Building laws should be enacted
and enforced that will compel better
construction and the use of material
that will not burn, especially in the
large cities.
As an evidence of the extent to
which insurance enters into our daily
life, we quote from an article written
by Mr.. II. M. Hess, Manager of the
Missouri Inspection Bureau, as fol-
lows:
The general public, particularly
the small property owner, is inclined
to consider the question Of fire insur-
ance rates as affecting only the cost
Of the fire policies which he carries .
on his own property and therefore of /
small Importance to him personally. !
He ignores the fact that the price of ,
every article necessary to his living
pr pleasure is charged with the cost
Of fire insurance. The amount of this =
'harge is difficult to determine. The
AK is indirect and the consumer there =
'ore pays it more willingly. A loaf
If bread bought at a retail bakery is +,
oaded with the cost of fire insurance
ipon the retail bakery stock, upon the
'read and the -four while in the whole .
iale bakery, upon the -four in the u
grocery. flour mill or flour Il
upon the grain in the ter q
ninal elevator or grain warehouse, !,
'pon the grain in the country elevat- n
n as well as in the farmers barn. =,
he cost Of insurance in these loca- |,
ions as well as in transit from the
arm to the bakery, the cost of in
urance upon the containing building T
S well as upon bakery machinery, r
our mill machinery, elevator machin- Al
ry, etc., is all added to the price
hitch the ultimate consumer pays.
ligh fire insurance rates truly make d.
Ugh the cost of living .,
In view of the above observation o,