The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1915-06-10
Losses in Washburn from
Fires are Light
Reports from Insurance Com
missioners Office Shows
Small Loss in 1914.

| MdulSON, WIS. JUNE ., w ASH
burn had a fire loss of 81, ,629.15
during 1914. The sworn reports
of the insurance companies to
Commissioner of Insurance Her
man l.. Ekern giving these
figures also show that these COM
panies collected $15, ,103.21 in
premiums from the policy-hold-
ers of this city. This means
$927.20 paid in premiums for
esch $1OO returned for losses.
During 1911 to 1914, inclusive,
the total premiums paid in this
city amounted to $67,975.20 and
the total returned for losses was
$9.060.39, which makes a premi-
um payment of $750.20 for each
$500 returned for losses.
Commenting on these figures
showing losses and premiums,
Commissioner Ekern said: "The
insurance companies figures are
the amounts which they have
paid out for losses. There will
be differences between their
figures and the fire department
records in that the insurance
companies pay many small losses
for which the fire department is
not called out. Differences also
arise from the fact that the
fire department records are made
| up from the losses as they occur,
while the insurance company
,gsrords are made up at the time
losses are paid, which often
would cause the losses incurred
in one year to be reported as
paid the succeeding year. Cases
have also been found where the
insurance companies have in
cluded losses outside the city.
This is an injustice to the city in
the excess losses so shown, and
the figures are now being in
vestigated to correct any errors.
''The 315 cities and villages in
Wisconsin having fire depart
ments and a population in 1910
of ], ,199, ,518. During 1914 these
cities and villages paid Sc, ,7O1, ,O65
in premiums and received in re-
turn So, 152,65 for losses. The
people thus paid in premiums
$212.54 for each 500 returned
for losses. From 1911 to 1914,
inclusive, the premiums paid
were $25, 1896 and the losses
paid were $11, 161, ,270 making the
premium payments $230.18 for
each $100 returned for losses.
The city and village per capita
loss in 1914 was $2.63, and for
the four years $2.33.
1.-The great mass of insurance
in cities and villages is written
by the stock fire insurance COM
panies. Probably less than Ito
is written by mutuals, Lloyds
and interinsurers. The business
| of the stock companies is there
fore of particular interest. The
figures show that even with a
general excessive fire loss during
I1914, the loss rate in Wisconsin
lis much less than that through
out the United States, and a
Icomparison of premium pay
Iments to losses in Wisconsin and
throughout the United States
shows that the people of Wis
consin are still being compelled
to pay more than their share OF
the fire insurance premiums.
Fire losses will fluctuate. A
city having a good record may
have an excessive loss for one OF
more years, but given a large
territory or reasonable period OF
time, the losses will average.
During the ten years 19O5-19l4,
the people of Wisconsin have
paid the stock fire insurance
corporations over $70,00O,O00 in
premiums and received for losses
less than $3l, 100000, and Wis
lconsin policy-holders have paid