The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1915-09-30
PROCLAMATION
IS ISSUED BY
THE GOVERNOR
MAKING SATURDAY, OCT. 8,
FIRE PREVENTION DAY
.PSEvENT WASTE BY FISE.
Recommend That Day BE Observed
For Putting Premises In Order
and Removing Causes Which
Permit Needless Fires.

COHSeTYdLlOH VI IeSOuICSS 10 dh III
portant and growing matter of pub
lie concern and no function of gov
ernment has a wider range of SER
vice for the continued prosperity and
comfort of all the people than those
efforts for the preservation of natur-
al resources and the prevention of
waste of life and property. Not the
least of these is the growing efforts
to prevent waste by fire. The prop
erty loss in Tennessee from this
cause for the year 1914, as given by
the Insurance Commissioners official
report, was $3,142,135.0O, being 1866
fires with an average loss of $1,777.00
each. The loss ratio to premium re-
ceipts paid being 66.97 per cent and
the annual cost to the people of the
State being $5.1S for each man, wo-
man and child.
1t is estimated that 80 pei cent of
this loss of more than $4,000, 100000 is
PREVENTABLE, or is occasioned by
preventable causes. A department of
the Federal Government has found
that the ninety millions of people in
the United States use more matches
annually than the nine hundred mil
lion people in the rest of the world,
and that 100000 matches are struck
in the United States every minute.
While this statement of prodigality is
not in itself an indictment of our
people, yet in view of the large fire
waste in every state, it may indicate
some carelessness.
On account of this large and use
less waste by fire, our last General
Assembly created Fire Prevention
Department, and this Act is said by
experts to be the most modern and
progressive of any similar law of any
state in the Union. 1t is maintained
by tax of one-half of one per cent
levied on the net premium receipts
of fire insurance companies doing
business in the state and the opera
tion of the Department is, therefore,
no charge upon the treasury.
Desiring, therefore, that all efforts
at fire prevention should be aided
and to the end that this great loss of
property may be prevented and, as a
result, insurance rates reduced, l.,
Tom C. Rye, Governor, do hereby
proclaim that
SATURDAY, THE 9TH OF OCTOBER
the anniversary of the great Chicago
| fire, be known as
FIRE PREVENTION DAY,
and earnestly recommend that it be
observed by our people as day for
putting their premises in order and
removing the causes which permit
needless confiagrations, and
That all public buildings, factories
and homes be cleansed of rubbish;
That all heating, lighting and fire.
extinguishing apparatus be examined
and, If necessary, repaired;
That fire drills be held in all fac
tories, department stores and schools.
That in public schools, on Friday,
the 8th of October, lectures be given
by representatives of the fire depart
ments in our cities, and that the
teachers in all schools give such in
struction as they may have at their
command on the subject;
That the Chief Fire Prevention
Commissioner of the State furnish
the schools and commercial bodies
and institutions of the State with
suitable literature and the regula-
tions that will give information hav-
ing tendency to preserve life and
reduce the enormous fire waste in
Tennessee.
In testimony whereof. have here
unto set my hand and caused the
Great Seal of State to be affixed at
the Capitol in the city of Nashville
this, the oath day of September, A. D.
1915, and of American independence
the 14Oth year. TOM C. RYE,
Governor
r. r. SNEED, Sec. of State.