Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-02-05
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
HEARS ADDRESS ON
FIRE LOSS TOPIC

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Der Of Commerce was held Tuesday
evening at the rooms on Appleton
street. The meeting was presided over
by the president. George f. Vose.
The Chamber endorsed the joint drive
which will include the Armenian and
Syrian drives and a number of the
local benevolent associations. The
amount. S13.500. is to be raised in the
one drive. which will start next Mon
day morning.
Harry IS. Brown. chairman of the
city management committee. made a
brief report of the work has been
done. The Chamber endorsed the
project for the advertising of the
Central Maine fair, which will re-
suit in securing proper room for the
exhibitors and visitors in the city at
the coming fair. From present indi-
cations the fair will be the greatest
ever held in Waterville or in the
State. Frank Alden gave report
Of the fire risk committee and the
recommendations We're adopted by q
regular vote of the Chamber OF Com
merce. The Mems Choral Club. COM
posed of members of the Chamber of
Commerce and non members, made
. its first appearance at the meeting
and entertained the members with
some very fine selections during the
evening.
Franklin II. Wentworth of Boston,
! secretary Of the National Fire Pro-
lection Association, was the princi-
pal speaker of the evening and de-
livered a very interesting and help
full address on The Significance of
the Fire Waste" in which he said
that the extent of fire loss in this
country, which averages s250.000,0 900
"A year. is about $4,000 an hour. or
$500 Il minute.
After giving statistics and indicat
ing the amount Of loss he compared
the loss in this country and the fire
losses in Europe which are one tenth
of what they are here. the difference
being due to the character Of build
ing construction; character OF house,
keeping and cleanliness, most Of the
fires being started from rubbish. and
! the difference in the character OF
people. Our people have never been
trained to be careful respecting fires.
regarding which the people of the old
world are very carefully trained. The
oarelessness Of our business men re-
garding fire is largely due to the no.
, ton that insurance companies bear
the loss, whereas it is clear that the
insurance companies are merely col
lectors and distributors of the loss
plus the expense Of operating the
! business. The cost Of the fire waste
| immerges with everything we eat,
drink and wea", for instance all
stocks of goods in stores are insured.
, The insurance cost added Waterville
to the cost Of the goods and when
our people buy a hat. shoes or cloth !:
ing Of any kind, the insurance cost
! is represented in the purchase price.
! thus It is clear that the people them
selves pay for the fire waste, and
should therefore be interested in re-
ducing it. Every dollar We pay for
waste makes the cost OF living great
or and the struggle for our livelihood
harder. and al effort that goes to re-
place waste is taken from the normal
production Of things for the peoples
comfort and satisfa ction. After dis
Cussing the fire subject thoroughly he
then discussed engineering features
of the fire waste as building laws
proper provision Of the fire stop in
form of fire walls. protects on
window openings through which fire
frequently passes and also the wood
en- shingle as a fire menace. The
shingle is light and inflamable es-
pecially after q dry season. The
burning of shingles can easily be car
ried through the air by the draft Of
the fire an dthus set fire to other
roofs. CONGREGATIONS like those Of
Chelsea and Salem. Mass, were
spread by wooden shingles.