St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1915-03-26
Mr.. Cook Explains

follows: Remember that merg-
ing with Portland will not re.
duce insurance rates in st.
Johns unless the buildings here
are rewired to conform with the
inspection rules of Portland.
Even then it is doubtful if lower
rates would obtain because st.
Johns rates are now 10 per cent
lower than at University Park
or Lents, so the Board of Under
, writer's say" Here is three dis
tinct propositions TO discuss.
Wiring Of houses, rates in st.
Johns and other places and
who gave you your information.
First wiring; your statement
that all the buildings would
have to be rewired' was no doubt
intended to scare the voter into
believing that if we merged that
every house i'm st. Johns would
have 20 be at once rewired. The
facts are as follows: THE
Board Of Underwriters, or I'M
derwriters Equitable Rating
Bureau, its proper name, does
not inquire into the question of
wiring of dwelling houses. In
fixing the basic rate of insur-
ance they do no inquire whether
a dwelling house is wired or not,
either in Portland or elsewhere.
So not a single dwelling house in
st. Johns would need TO be re-
wired on that account. These
statements are authentic, direct
from the Secretary Of the Rating
Bureau.
The question Of wiring how
ever, is considered on Mercan-
tile risks. as stores, Factories,
etc. For instance, Edmondson
q Company at 107 South Jersey
street paid a rate of 81 .SS per
hundred Of insurance per year,
until that moving picture ma
chine was improperly installed
in the adjoining room. when on
that account the rate was raised
TO 1888 forcing Edmondson g.
Company TO pay $1,000 extra
insurance per year on a 1000
policy. and he will continue col
pay a high rate as long as that
defective wiring remains. That
piece Of bad wiring raised the
rate ON No. l07, 100. Ill S. Jersey
street mt the same rate. The
rate was lately reduced from
S2.SS TO S2.73 on No. lO7, and
100 and TO 81. SO on No. Ill. The
party that wired the theatre
put in a Cheap-John job and the
tenants of the adjoining room
are paying for il in high insur. !
ance rates.
This could not have happened |
in Portland where such things !
are properly regulated. And
st. Johns merchants are paying
hundreds of dollars every year
in extra insurance premiums be- |
cause ST. Johns does not regu-
late electric wiring. and this fact |
alone is the strongest possible !
argument i'm favor OF a merger
! agree with you that a lot of |
business houses would have TO |
be rewired before insurance |
rates are reduced on them |
whether we merge or not. but !
the wiring question does not
affect dwelling houses as you
would have people believe and
in that particular your statement
was misleading.
The second proposition. You !
say that insurance rates are now
10 per cent lower i'm ST. Johns
than in University Park or
Lents. and in an editorial March |
II you say "Your information /
came from j. N. McCme. Sec. |
Board of Underwriters. You |
say "He says that the basic ratel
of insurance for University Park !
from Van Houten street north TO
the st. Johns City limits is sol
cent per hundred, that Lents
is the same and that 40 cents is
the basic rate i'm st. Johns? You |
mistook HoughtOn street forI
Van Houten street You can
not get TO st. Johns by going
north from Van Houten street.
What the Secretary really did |,
was TO take his map and
point out 10 you a certain Blue
line which runs ON Houghton
street and Willis Boulevard from
East To West across the map 4 ,
or b blocks north of Columbia
Park. He told YOU that all the Il
territory north of that Blue line /
TO the northern city limits. not n
st. Johns limit, except strip 4 Il
block wide along Portmouth ave. /,
nue. TO the city limits was i'm the la
district carrying the 80 cent /,
rate. This territory is very n
sparsely settled. He also point n
ed out TO you that all that part i
Of University Park and Ports. O
mouth lying south of that Blue q
line ON the map. that is Hough- /,
ton street and Willis Boulevard n
down TO the willamette River ),
was in the district carrying a
rate of only 80 cents per hundred Ina
This 30 cents district contains n
all the Business houses and I,
probably 50 per cent of the dwell Al
ng houses i'm University Park NJ