The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-05-26
TO
. BE REDUCED
IN CITY
Secretary Of Board of Fire Under
writers Explains Basis Upon
Which Reductions viii Be
Made Points Out How Simple
Alterations will Result in Ma
terial Changes.
fFrom Saturday Advertiser.)

ifrom saturday Advertiser.1
A. r. Gurrey, secretary Of the board
of fire underwriters, yesterday explained
the basis for the reduction Of Insurance.
rates which is shortly TO become effect.
i've. A part Of the new schedule win
be ready to issue about the hrst Of
June, but IL will not all be ready until
the new fire maps are completed.
The new tariff is based on standard
buildings, provided with standard Gre.
proohng, in cities having standard Gre
protection, Gurrey said. A standard
building would be one with steel Or
iron> frame supporting the floors and
roof, this strueturally complete and
self;supportihg skeleton TO be enclosed
with walls and roof composed Of Gre.
proof material
All deyiations from the standard are
charged for by the underwriters. Such
deviations might consist OF walls too
thin for the height Of the building.
infiammable partitions, flooring or ROOT.
ingi elevator shafts and light wells; or
unprotected openings.
The "eonerete mercantile schedule',
Is one that is in use all over the United
States, but under il every city Is rated
ON its own merits, Mr.. Gurroy stated.
Many factors enter into the estab-
llshment of basic rate for a city.
There would be low rate for a city
with good water supply, wide streets
and good fire protection system Start.
ing with a theoretically ideal city, the
underwriters charge definite percent
age OF increase in rates IL town has
no steam fire engines, no fire alarm sys-
TEN and no satisfactory building ord.
nance. For instance, there would be
o twenty per cent increase in rates IL
volunteer fire department were to
replace a paid one. Marrow streets and
alleys add to the insurance rates Of the
city as d whole, Mr.. Gurrey said.
Conditions Fix Rates.
Rates are made for conditions "a
they are, not for what the citizens
would like TO have them, y he said.
The rates for adjoining structures Of
about the Same type of Construction
may be different
The hptypart Of flame is above the
middle Of IL. SO when a building burns
there Is more danger Of the fire break.
ing into the upper stories OF adjacent
buildings than through party walls Into
the lower floors.
II owners win shutter the upper
windows of buildings which overfon
neighEoring roofs they win find that
their insurance rate will be lower.
Wire glass and metal sash are consid.
cred SUPERIOR to metal shuttArs by the
insurance people, Owners Will also fni
their insurance rates lowered whcrc
they adopt such inexpensive measures
as placing wire netting over Iouvfos.
yentilators and open fricze work, OF
using screens to protect cellar openings
When there are fires, Mr.. Ghrrey
said, sparks fly long distances. In
my own experience have seen live
sparks from city fires carried two miles.
/ Shonld there be A had fire, some day
when high wind is blowing. no ono
knows how far living sparks would
carry, and if the wind blows them into
an httie through u louvre another frs
il almost sure 10 start. Sparks do not
go through a screen.
Honolulu has good ERE record.
and we are reducing rates because we
lave many years Of experience TO 70
on. Office interiors are not tihder-drf.
as they are in northern eli "a Where
buildings are steam-heated 81. mouths
in the year,
Explains csr=es CT rsrcs.
Mr. Gurrey thought al. lhc most
prevalent cause Of fsos IN i.aa~i is
the use Of the opoI braz.er and Zero.
sene tin stove Ior ecoklns !.ar.loacs
by large proportion OF The popula-
| ton.
This week there have been two
fires caused by children playing with
matches, and next weea Il viii be some
Thing else, he said.
The basic rates ON dwellings will be
reduced about one-third when the new
schedule goes into effect. The rate has
also been reduced on sugar mills, SUI ar
warehouses and canine ries, and on cor
tain types Of business Llocks.
Mr.. Gurrey said that II owners who
consider their rates abnormallly hieh
will take up the question with the H.
surance agents they can in every In
stance get an explanation Of what their
I Insurance rates are basod ON and VIA.
changes must be made Ia construction
| TO make their buildings subject 10 a
better rate, Often minor changes will
rake a difference Of fifteen or twenty
| per cent in the basic rate. he stated. r