The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1920-02-04
Harry E. Reynolds Again Urges
That Threatening Conditions
Must Be Remedied
IN RECENT ADDRESS,
LAID QUESTION BARE
Cause of Exhorbitant Rates Is
: Frankly Stated; Surround
ing Risks Blamed

and insurance firm OF ReynOlQS anu
Winter. was scheduled to make an
address to the business men after the
MONDAY luncheon Of the Bemidji
Civic and Commerce association to-
day, on the vital question of high
insurance rates in effect in Bemidji
In a recent address, made by Mr..
Reynolds before the association, he
stated that local insurance agents OF
Bemidji had received letters from
their companies and from other
sources asking what Bemidji is doing
to improve the fire hazard conditions.
Continuing, Mr.. Reynolds said:
Vague Rumors Heard
Is there any wonder that it has
been rumored that we might be pre-
vented from securing insurance pro-
lection or that our rates may be in
creased, unless conditions are greatly
improved. Now the big question is,
what are we going: to do ABOUT it :?
Are you willing to get behind the
move and give it some of your time to
save this city 100000 annually?
'The only answer is we must i'm
prove our conditions in every possible
way.
''These reports by the fire depart
ment show that in most cases the
cause is carelessness.
II have the report made by the
Chicago Advisory committee, show
ing the conditions as found by the
State Fire Prevention Association.
cooperating with the State Fire Mar
,shal. The preamble of this report
is as follows:
Hazardous Conditions.
Under date of Oct. FL, 1919, the
Conservation and Fire Prevention
association of Minnesota cooperated
with the state fire marshal in making
a prevention inspection at Bemidji.
The fire marshal and president of the
association feel that it was one of
the best public meetings ever held
in the state, and the cooperation
promised, looking to the carrying out
of the recommendations made and
the enthusiasm manifested at the
public meeting, will be productive of
much good.
"The state association advices
having received very hearty coopera-
tiop from the Civic and Commerce
association and acknowledges espe-
cially the individual work of it's
secretary, H. M. Stanton
The report gives in detail the
hazardous conditions found in each
Menace To Others.
Another place in which these
hazards may be found is in the in
surance rates made on each indi-
-vidual risk:
Mr.. John Doe, you know that your
rate Ks (for example) STA per 500,
but the chances are that you don't
know what makes that rate. You
don't know that your rate on your
building is S3 cents and that you are
paying 81 cents for the hazard Great
ed by your neighbors. You may
keep your building in first class con-
dition from roof to basement, your
FISK may be all right, your neighbOr
may not be so careful, his wiring may
be bad, heating plant bad, his base
ment and building may be dirty
and you pay more for his risk than
for your own. His property is a bad
fire hazard and a menace to you.
You find that you are paying on
$4,000 insurance S34S per year pre-
MUM. OF that amount $166 is for
your own building and 1882 for your
neighbors. Now then, if you are pay
ing that amount of money for your
neighbors; risk, are you not entitled
to know what the actual conditions
of his place are. Your rate is simply
a debit and credit account, you are
charged with all fire hazards and
you are credited with everything that
goes to eliminate fires and the
balance is your rate.
II believe that publicity and lots
of it is the thing that will help re-
duce our fires to minimum.
Through this publicity the condition
of each property. be it good or bad
will bring results.