The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-10-28
BARRE DEALERS
TO INSURE SELVES
Paid SSo,os7.45 in Premiums During Five
Years, and Total Loss in That Time
Was Only Sro,IIo.5 .5o-Claim They
Are Paying Too Much.

Figures set forth by Sec. Harold II.
Hinman of the Barre Granite Manufac-
turers association in special report
made to the board of directors at a
meeting last evening were Of such re-
vealing nature that action was taken
forthwith in the direction Of organizing
mutual fire insurance company to sup
plant the insurance which Barre manu-
facturers are carrying with private COM
panies. The manufacturers declare that
the rates are SO prohibitive that a de-
cided stand is imperative, and to that
end the directors authorized Sec. Hinman
to arrange an early conference with
Secretary of State Guy w. Bailey and
the state insurance commissioners.
Three months Of exhaustive research
are represented in the report, which COW
ers in detail the fire losses and the pre-
miums paid on granite manufacturing
property in the Barre granite belt for
period of Is years. Barre, Montpelier,
Waterbury, Mortified, West Berlin, East
Barre and Williamstown stoneshed prop
critics were the objects of investigation,
which was not limited to the property
owned by manufacturers connected with
the association.
Barre manufacturers absolutely re-
fuse any longer to pay for fire losses in
Cured in other towns and cities IN the
granite district" said See. Hinman in a
statement issued to-day. In the five
years, l9l0-l9l4, inclusive, fire losses OF
Sl0,I1050 were sustained by Barre City
and the premiums paid
amounted to $S0,0s7.45, which, the man
ufacturers hold, indicates a pretty fair
margin for the insurance companies.
More than that, the principal losses in
the five-year period mentioned above
were greater than the total losses In the
previous ten years, a circumstance which
is said to show that the prohibitiye
rates, as they are described, did not OPP
crate solely in the fiye-year period men,
toned in the first instance. Estimates
based on reliable figures laboriously
compiled show that in the period of 1900
1915, inclusive, the Barre City granite
paid premiums OF $780,
900 more than the fire losses, which
amounted to little more than $4,000
In five years, from 1910 TO 1914, inclu-
sye, Barre City was the only place, ex-
cepting West Berlin, where the premiums
were greater than the losses.
The immediate cause of this decided
opposition on the part of the Barre City
to paying what they re-
gard as exorbitant rates is laid TO the
heavy increase ordered by the insurance
nearly two years ago. Oppo-
sition manifested at that time, when the
insurers notified the manufacturers of
their decision 10 raise the rates, led to
the gathering of the data submitted to-
the directors last night Additional sta
tistics compiled from city reports, in
printed, show that practically all of the
fires recorded in the Barre City manu-
featuring belt broke out during working
hours. In reviewing the fire losses of
other granite manufacturing cities and
towns in the district, il is shown that
The proportion of fires which occurred
II night is much larger. Owing to the
efficiency Of Barre's fire department, |
damaging stoneshed fires have been kept |
Town to a surprising minimum, and there
i feeling that the protection thus
Afforded by adequate equipment and
.rained fire fighters should come in for
,ome degree Of recognition from the
nsuring companies.
Directors Of the association say they |
ire in earnest and that the mutual com
ANY which the joint conference contem-
,lates is 10 become reality. Sec. Hin
nan got in touch with the secretary Of
s.ta sn.dun