The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-06-25
CRITICISMS OF FIRE
DEPARTMENT ARE NOT
CORRECT SAYS MAYOR
CiTVS CHIEF EXECUTIVE DE.
cLAREs THAT TEST WAS
MOST UNFAIR.
STATEMENTS WERE .OVkRDRAWN
Col. Dedman Expresses the Belief
That in View of the Splendid sys.
TEN the City Now Has Insurance
Rates Should Be Reduced.

the test OF the fire department by the
Tennessee Fire Prevention Associa
ton was most unfair one. He stat
ed that he was told by the president
OF the association that the run was
TO be IN no way test That the pres
ldent stated to him hhat the only thine
mat the association desired was to in
spect the new motor-driven pumping
engine. That he telephoned to Chief
/ Ritter that the association desired ia
see the department, that he desired
the chief to bring his men to the
Bethel House corner at $50. but there
was no need for excessive speed in
the operations of the department. as
the association did not care to test its
efficiency.
AS a refutation of the statement OF
Engineer Long that the department
was inexperienced and that it took
them sixteen minutes to get water
from the hose, the mayor cited the
case OF fire about month ago. At
thls flre the alarm was turned by tel.
ephone. The one reporting the fire
SAID that it was at Harmons on Ninth
street Now there are two Harmons
on this street. The department went
first to the one on West Ninth. and
flnding no fire at that place started
to the other one, which islocated on
East Ninth. To get to their destina.
ton they had to turn around and
come through the main streets of the
city. AS they passed the court house
the house could be seen to be burning
brightly. And yet after all this time
was consumed in looking for the fire.
the time taken to put it out was only
fourteen minutes from the moment
the call was received.
Mayor Dedrnan also stated that
while there was Of course some
ground for the criticism of the condi,
lion Of the business houses that much
of it was overdrawn. He stated that
ne doubted the statement made by
President Williams that all the insur
ance companies that had representa- !
tiyes in Columbia had lost money by
their insurance on Columbia property
He stated that the opinions of the cit.
lzens would bear him out in this cues
ton.
The mayor stated it as his opinion
that fire prevention association was
a good thing so long as the object OF
their oganization was the prevention !
of fires. He said the citizens Of Co.
lumbia to a man would be behind any !
to reduce fires provided
they could be assured that a CORES,
bonding reduction Of rates be gotten
at the same time. He said that this
was only fair inasmuch as to put the
city business property in first class
for the prevention of fires
would cost the citizens a great ex
lense, and that they should be assur-
I'd by the insurance men who make
up the eprsonnel of the Tennessee
Fire Prevention Association that they
would partly compensate the citizens
or their extra expense. That they
should get the protection that they
we're paying for.
Mayor Dedman also expressed the
opinion that the citizens of Columbia,
n view of the fire department that
hey now had, thought that the rates
hould be lowered, and that they
hould not be threatened with a raise
them. He said that President VIII
iams' statement that if the buildings <
hat were reported as dangerous were
lot made all right after three at
empts of the association to get them
do so, that the owners of the prop
rty would be reported to the insur- {
nee companies which held their in
urance," really amounted to an in.
in the rates, because this I
'ould certainly happen if the build
lgs were not put in first class fire J
revention condition. i
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