The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-05-03
UNIFORM FIRE
LAW IS NEEDED
Insurance Men Say Much Re-
mains Ts BE Done In Oklahoma
In Preventative Legislation.


awakened to the fact that 1t Is easier
10 prevent fires than 10 eAtinguish
them after they have been started"
such IL Ii significant statement OF the
state fire marshal, G. G.. Hammonds,
In his last annual report Oh the fire
waste In Oklahoma. That report, for
the year 1911, shows that the fire
waste for TINT year was more than
the year preceding
The relationship between the fire
waste ana Insurance IL very impOr
llut 4 low waste eventually brings
low Insurance rates The former
shows cUrrluIucs-, the latter the re,
vurd Fire insurance companies, both
foreign aud domestic, doing business
iu %Okluhomu wrote new business dur
ing the year lnll 10 the extent OF
500. "a O,OO2, the premiums on which
amounted to %ii1l,5iG This does not
l"gin to represent the amount " fire
Insurance IN force I'm the state now
Further Rate Reduction Possible.
Almost ever, Iuy someone asks II
the fire Insurance. rate, on their prop
crty could not, be- reduced. Everyone
thinks because hp hus not had a fire
there should be some special rate re-
glrlIr,, u the fire hazards which
may exist aud which When pointed
out offend them The average fire
Insurance rate has been decreased over
IU per cent since the establishment Of
tine fire mur,unls department. and IL
further reduction could bee procured.
saws The fire marshal. n the proper
lavs were rnnrtrd whereby the DE
purtmcIt could compel the correction
or FIR, hnznrds when they are found
tu exist More thnu one hulf " the
fire waste " this state could be- pre-
yrntpl and the property saved. II the
fire loss we're reduced the insurance
rre would also"
II has been suggested by the state
rr, mnrshnI that fire prevention
vulld be- "A good subject Ia be- taught
in the schools " the state Get the
school children Interested and they
whl soon have their parents thinking
III some stntrs fire prevention Is being
tpught with remarkable success. The
result with be- seen Inter The extra
trouble for the Information will be
rnld Tor many times.
Fire Waste Quarter Billion.
The fire waste In the United States
ip 1911 amounted 10 the tremendous
sum uf S22O27G75O. At least sixty
per cent " this enormous waste was
cnused by carelessness. which by
thuughtfulness and care could have
been prevented S2,0s2,3 1853 ~ this
amount was sustained In Oklahoma
A portion Of this loss resulted from
carelessness.
"Carelessness and ignorance are two
things which are responsible for the
larger portion Of the firse In this
state, and the only way when these
two fire breeding causes can be elimi
mated IL by the proper education ot
the people " our state.
II is argued with much logic that
agents writing fire Insurance coulu
hc a great help In fire prevention work
and that they should be- required TO
make an inspection Of every building
they insure. This should be done @'
pecially In the case ot small buildings
outside the fire limit In TINS way
over insurance could I've avoided ana
much of the hazard eliminated, me
burning " property when Is over III
sured certainly reflects to some degree
ON the agent writing the Insurance
and Il close inspection before the pom
cy was placed might save emOarrass
ment The Insurance companies nc
not desire to carry oVer INSURANCE. Oh
the property Of anyone II VIII p'
glad to cancel all such policies Wheu
they have reason to believe mat th'
property on which they hold a pohcS
is over insured. 800
Fire Insurance Dates from lHh