The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-09-12
CALLS INSURANCE Meeting.
FARMERS UNION HEAD URGES
ORGANIZATION.
Dabbs Says Aid Prcsupposcs Safe
and Cheap Insurance of Cotton
WhIch is WarChOuScd

Il. w. Dabbs of Mayesville, presi-
dent Of the South Carolina Farmers
union, in a letter issued yesterday to
the farmers and business men of the
State, discusses mutual insurance of
cotton stored in improvised ware
houses
The letter of President Dabbs fol-
lows:
The letter from Commissioner of
Insurance McMastcr to the president
OF the State Farmers Union recently
points out Il way to keep some money
at home. Cotton bales stored on green
pine poles in an open space plowed
around SO that fire could not crawl
&long in dry grass or trash, with
sufficient covering to keep from wealth
er damage, and a good wire fence to
Keep thieves out, ought to be the
cheapest fire risk of any farm produce
But Just glance at the figures which
Mr.. j. Nj. Parker gives Col. Watson,
as published in The State of Septem-
Der 4
Closed warehouses having iron or
metal clad slides and roof, storage not
, to exceed 1000 bales, protected by six
barrels and II fire pals for each
1000 bales; building to have full
sized doors in all side walls 10 facili-
tate removal Of cotton in case of fire.
If uncNposed, rate is $2.25; for no
casks an,. pals Of water, add SO cents;
If side walls are not metal clad, add
% cents; openings inadequate, to Is
cents; for excess storage over 1000
and not exceeding 1900 bales, %
cents; over 1890 and not exceeding
1000 bales, 80 cents; over 1000 and
not exceeding $500 BALES, rs cents;
for each 100 bales additional, 25 cents.
Graduated reductions are, of course,
allowed in case of warehouse, platform
or yard located in cities having fire
departments and water supplies, the
reduction varying according to the
efficiency of the municipal protection
afforded
From $2.25 per hundred to 81 per
hundred if L understand the figures
given in the above clipping. How
can the farmers stand any such rate
when they can mutually carry their
fire risks at so cents per $1OO per an
mum, as shown by the Farmers Mu-
tual (Fire( Insurance company of
York county, with whom the farmers
union committee is taking up the mat
ter of mutual insurance
For three years of more 1 have
been trying from time to time to in
tcrest our people in mutual insur-
ance. We annually send out of the
State enough more money in pre-
miums than we receive back in death
trcssed cotton in the State under
normal conditions. That mutual insur-
ance might cause some we'll paid
agents to have to seek other employ
mcnt is no valid reason why we
should continue to send out a steady
stream of gold to enrich other States.
The farmers union committee on
banking and currency and warehous-
ing and marketing of cotton is COM
posed of the following members: f..
w. Dabbs, president and chairman.
Maycsvi!lc; ]. Is. Whetscll. vice presi-
dent, Bowman; l.. NJ. Cooper, Wi
sacky; Il. Harris, Pendlcton; j. b.
Shealy, Ballcntine.
Il will be more or less absent from
home on the national committee at
! Washington. Il request Vice President
Whctscll to act as chairman of this
committee and suggest that he call a
of next week to meet Mr. McMaster.
insurance commissioner, i'm Columbia
to go over the whole scheme of mu-
tual insurance. 1t seems to me that
it would be we'll to invite the man
aScr of the York County Farmers
! Mutual Insurance company to meet
with the committee and one or more
farmers from every county which will
need to insure cotton in improvised
ware rChouScs
1T is just as important TO get busy
on this as to secure national aid for
some kind of safe insurance will he
Il prerequisite TO national or bank
aid"