Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-01-20
ALARM SYSTEM and
fire TRUCK NEEDED
Fire Department Has Interesting
Session Last Monday
Nj ght.

The yearly business meeting of the
Willmar Volunteer Fire Department
was held at the Odd Fellows Hall last
Monday evening. The annual banquet
rendered by the chief and fire warden
was also held in connection and the
the occasion was one of unusual in
terest and enjoyment. Chief C. C. Sell
Wig called the meeting to order, and
the first business transacted was to
elect secretary, which office w. S.
Johnson was chosen to fill. The chief
then gave his annual report. A mat
ter Of interest was a review Of the
fire losses in Willmar during the past
seven years, Mr.. Selvig's term OF Of
flee, which showed quite conclusively
that Willmar is paying an excessive
rate OF insurance in the regular line
OF insurance companies. The losses
given for each year were as follows:
19OS-business houses or contents,
$3.50; in residence, none. 19O9-bus-
mess houses and contents, $500;
barns, $4,000; residences, $25. 1910
business houses or contents, $500; res
licences, $3.50. 1911-business houses
or contents, $2,700, barns, $1,7OO; res
licences, 500. (This does not include
the elevator, 1000, and mill, $4,000,
which was burned that year as the
insurance on such property is carried
by a special line Of companies and
are not in common with the regular
insurance companies.) 1912-busi-
ness houses and contents, $6,S00.0O;
residences, $400; high school, $3.50.
1913-business houses and contents
$1,000; barns, $3.50; residences, $100.
In 1914 there was but one fire with
a loss of only $275.O0 The total los
ses for the seven years are $29 800,
making an average of about $4,000 per
year. During this time according to
the state departments figures, Will
mar has paid in premiums $lO5,S93, or
an average of over $4,000 yearly. Mr..
Selvig stated that going back farther
than seven years, he believed the pre-
miums paid, as compared with the
actual fire losses, would be equally ex-
cessive. He stated that it is evident
that Willnear is paying too high
rate of insurance and that something
should be done to secure lower rate.
Mr.. Selvig also recommended that
steps be taken to install an up-to-date
fire alarm system, as the town is now
growing to an extent where the Whls-
tie is not sufficient as fire alarm.
And he also pointed out the depart
ment's lack of transportation faclli-
ties.
The selection Of chief and assistant
chief followed and this resulted in
the selection of C. C. Selyig and Siv-
ert Benson to these positions. Short
5ptcches were made by several pres
ent, and the chief later introduced
Mr.. MacGoffin, of the w. S. Mott Co.,
of Minneapolis, who had been invited
to speak on volunteer firemen's alarm
system and on Willmar's pres
ent needs in fire apparatus transpor'
tation. For the latter he recommended
a motor combination chemical and
hose truck as the proper thing for
the department. At the conclusion
the doors of the dining room were
thrown open and the firemen and sew
eral other invited guests, including
city officials, sat down to splendlc
oyster supper A male quartette was
present during the evening and ad
ded some to tic good spirit OF the
ncna sion with several selections.