Evening star., 1923-07-07
CUT IN INSURANCE
CERTAIN IF WATER
PRESSURE IS HIGHER
D. NJ. Lea Says City Pays for
Lack of Adequate Fire
Protection Now.
TRADE BOARD READY
TO PRESS HARD FIGHT
Holds Half Million Cost Low if
U. S. Buildings and Others
Are Made Safe.

Lines are being drawn by commit
tees of the Washington Board of
Trade for pressing of fight before
the District Commissioners to have
included in their estimates this year
one for the installation of a high
pressure water system for firefghting
in the business District, it was learn
ed today
The argument. which came from the
District building that the Commits
sioners would not recommend such a
system because there was no assur-
ance that the fire insurance compa-
nies would reduce the insurance rate
following it's installation. was ex-
ploded today by David NJ. Lea, presi-
dent of the rating board of the Dis
trict fire underwriters, which sets the
rate for fire insurance here. Mr.. Lea
is today seeking to learn the source
OF this misinformation, he says for
certainly no official of the rating
board would have informed the Com
missionerS or their aides that there
would be no rate reduction. He fatty
denied that such a statement was
true.
Assures Reduction.
Mr.. Lea. who also Is chairman of
the insurance and fire protection COM
mittee of the Washington Board of
Trade, said that there would be d
reduction in the rate following the
installation of the system. He point
ed out that at the present time Wash
ington is paying a deficiency because
of the lack of sufficient water for fire
fighting in the case of a serious blaze.
He pointed out further in the course
of a conference with Richard Connor,
assistant secretary of the board, that
Washington was getting a credit for
the efficiency of its fire fighting ap-
paratus and personnel. This, he add
| ed, should indicate to the Commits
sioners that attention should be
| focused in getting money for the in
stallation of the high-pressure fight
ing system as against an increase in
apparatus, for apparatus without wa
| ter would be of no ,use.
As an indication of the insufficiency
! of the water supply here in the event
| of a serious Are, Mr.. Lea said that
| five years ago the underwriters, by
arrangement with the District au-
| thorities. and at a given minute and
second in the day turned on all fire
plugs in the business area. The re-
suit, he said, was that from each plug
there was not enough water coming
out to put out fire in a box of safety
| matches. There has been no change
In pressure since that time.
Delay Proves Costly.
Mr.. Lea pointed out that insurance
lra ha EGet
Washington has everything in its
favor for a standard city rate, he
said, except the one item of deliver
ing water to street plugs. The longer
the installation of such a system it
put off. the more it will cost. The
additional water supply will help but
little when 1t comes to fire protection,
owing to the antiquated system of
delivery pipes, which are virtually
| what they were thirty years ago, in
spite of the tremendous growth of
the city. These pipes, however, would
not have to be touched to put in the
high pressure system. To lay new,
mains in place of these pipes would
make the cost prohibitive. but to lay
an entirely new system in the down
town area with water drawn direct
ly from the river nearby would not
be costly, compared with the eco
lection provided. At the same time,
he added, the District authorities
should consider the matter from the
standard of protection to the COM
munity alone, and fire insurance rate
reduction, which will come anyway,
should not enter into 1t.
supply Is Low.
There is hardly enough water now
in the District mains. he went on, for
drinking and cleansing purposes, and
yet from that narrow-margined sup
ply must come in the emergencies of
conf1agration the water necessary to
quench flame. He pointed to the fire
when 1t was necessary to cut off the
home Supply of water from the mains
so the engines could suck enough
water to put on the fire.
CONTINUED dependence upon this
supply for fire fighting, said MT.
Lea. "is an invitation to disaster. At
comparatively small expense pumps
may be established at the edge of the
river and water in indefinite quanti-
ties pumped into mains specially laid
through the business area; where the
fire risk Is greatest and where values
are more concentrated, and especially
the area of government buildings, and
with numerous outlets the city would
be SO well protected tnaL ltS nre
losses would be kept to q record
minimum. For the conditions for
fire fighting here are perhaps the
best in the country. The streets are
broad, there are no overhead wires
to impede the work of the flremen.
An excellent. though not yet suffi-
cient, equipment is established and
the personnel of the fire department
is exceptionally high in efficiency.
Cost Half Million.
when the high-pressure service
was first proposed the cost was esti-
mated at 100000. 1t would now
probably cost half million. 1t
would be cheap at that or at twice
that amount as an Insurance against
big fires. When Congress reconvenes
this matter should be laid before it
for consideration, perhaps outside of
the budget estimates. 1t Is ques-
tion of more than local municipal
concern. 1t Is really a government
question, for the public buildings and
all the archives of the federal admin
istration are involved in the local fire
risk. For its own sake to increase
the protection of it's plant of build
ings and papers the government
should be greatly concerned in the
/ installation of every possible means
Of reducing risk Of loss by fire In