The Pensacola journal., 1917-08-16
Tallahassee Bureau,
The Pensacola Journal

Tallahassee, Fla, Aug. 15.-That a
large percentage of the fires in Flor
ida are preventable and that this per
centage could be reduced, thus aiding
in the conservation of national re-
sources, is shown by Hon. John c.
Luning, state treasurer and insurance
commissioner, In speaking of the
matter Mr.. Luning said: "The farm
ers all over the United States are
being urged to produced more food
stuff, housewives are being urged to
eliminate waste, to conserve foods.
1t seems to me, therefore, most op-
perfume that the question of fire pre-
vention be considered at this time,
for no matter how much foodstuff is
produced or how carefully the house
wife plans her meals, one big fire may
totally DESTROY an amount of food
stuff that will Offset the entire extra
production and saving of a state.
Fires in Florida.
Take Florida for example. Fire
two millions of dollars worth of prop
erty during 1916. This property is
entirely gone, lost to the world. 1t
can be replaced only by new produc-
ton. The fire insurance companies
may pay an indemnity for this loss
but they cannot restore the material
consumed by the flames. The Ma
tional Board of Fire Underwriters
after a careful investigation of the
causes of these fires, states that four
teen per cent were strictly prevent
able, and thirty-six per cent partially
preventable. President Wilson re-
Gently said, 'preventable fire is more
than a private misfortune 1t is q
public dereliction. At time like this
of emergency and of manifest neces-
sity for the conservation of national
resources, it is more than ever a mat
ter of deep and pressing consequence
that every means should be taken to
prevent this evil While this state
ment applies to all, it should come
home to each individual who reads it
| There is a personal responsibility In
this matter which cannot be escaped
Why the Raise.
"Quite a number of people have
written to me, as head of the insur-
ance department of the state govern
ment, stating that their fire insur-
ance rates had been raised and ask
ing why this had been done. Many
are disposed to blame the insurance
companies for this increase, but the
fault lies partly with the property
owner. He is frequently not as care
! full as he should be in the construction
and care of his property. Then, of
course, the increased cost of doing
business due to the general increase
| in the price of all commodities, and
the increase in federal taxes also plays
a part. But the companies have found
that the rates formerly charged or
dwellings, hospitals, boarding houses
churches, schools, feed warehouses
hotels, and mercantiles of a general
nature were not sufficient to pay the
| losses on this class of risk, and pay
the expenses incident to doing bust
ness. This is especially true in the
southeastern states, where most of the
roofs are shingled. The combustible
wood shingle is blamed bv the under.
writer's for the recent confagrations
and buildings with this class of roof
| must therefore pay more for proteC-
! ton. The statistics of the various
companies show that in 1916 the pre-
MUM income of the fire insurance
companies in the United States
amounted to 345 millions of dollars, II
round figures, while the losses anc
expenses incurred amounted to 341
million. The ratio of underwriting
profit was one and three-tenths pei
| cent.
Stop PreventabIe Fires.
"If our national resources are to b.