Evening star., 1925-10-13
IORK Of F|REbUGS.
MARKS SEASONS
1derWriters Enabled to
ForteII Arson Curve With
Reasonable Certainty.

-hc Associated Press
NEW YORK, October 1S.-NNhat
g Of fires to expect in selected
nths can be foretold with reason
a.a certainty by the National Board
Fire Underwriters.
he board has found that the arson
we reflects not only the ebb and
Il Of prosperity. but also. with un-
wing regularity. the closing OF Spe-
49,. 4 seasons in certain commodities.
precise relation between inCen-
ry fires and industrial seasons Is
luWn To exist.
With the approach of the Christmas
= -tSou the fur manufacturing trade
Includes its brief wear" and as the
,Iting and sewing machines slow
,t''yn the number of Contiagrations in
nese shops increase Unfortunately with
:hcr months. Sone important sec
ms Of the carmeut trades season
cfls in April and from the middle Of
4at month underwriters assert. they
-;tN expect q sudden increase in calls
+ fre settlements. Similarly with
tc sncrtinv goods manufacturing
;ald oghar Industries whose periods of
output occupy only portion of the
nI"ndIr ycar
Trade Map Warming.
\ trade map of the country warns
''.r msuranc" man where To expect
,actiunal coni4 grHtinnS nf unusual
--"uUcury This wear they are said
=, center in Ncv England. where the
-exti1c industry i below par. but the
,'stvo also has touched upstate New
York. and in the last ;W0 wears the
-:Hler pointed to Texas. then Georgia
,.3d 10 southern Illinois
Some estimates lay as high aS 40
ror cont Of the $500. 100 600 annual fire
'-~~ to the Gruesnne hand Of fire
hG- His work is marked Ivy deaths
- Wtll as br destruction. for of the
.ugn pcupl" Who periShed in flames IN
ln -nit"d States last year many died
u CONVERSATIONS of deliberate origin.
In William street. which is TO in
furtnoe what Wall street IS 10 finance
amt Maiden lane 10 gems. there is
issued a monthly chart FOR tho infor-
saation Of underwriters. II shows in
,rtr.,llel columns the fires which have
.rrurrcd i'm various trades and the
"hu-incSS embarrassment" noted in
III" same industries.
w hat fires are running now? Is a
common inquiry of an insurance agent
returning from = short vacation.
Clothing" or leather goods" or
trimmings" may he the reply. Ad-
fu~torS and investigators have been
warned to s-crtItiniZe carefully reports
III tie trade which for the time being
III least, is known To be undergoing
an Extra hazard.
Influence Of Weather.
Even the weather has a not incon-
siderable influence on commercial
f7rcS If summer fingers. throwing
the F-al trade sales behind, the fact
is noted by the underwriters loss COM
mitree. if the Winter is unusually
severe. q closer watch is kept on the
Spring trades. Ton straw hats and
fli,uSy dress goods will be retarded
un their Wy - market and the weak
rr clements nf those trades max he
pirchod.
r.nassiriIatel aliens "ften are the
blazers IF the arson trail. Under
writer's hold this type responsible for
many devastating c"ntlagrationS. Al
tfou4h declared II i" widespread,
arson is difficult crime to prove and
many claims are settled that just
failed to bl.ins~ . criminal Indictment.
Those who fight incendarism have
littIe sentiment about fires. In vii.
liam street they give credeCre TO the
story that Mrs. O.LearY'S COW kicked
over i lantern and 50 burned Chicago
hall a. century ago, and that a lone
PENNSYLVANIA crow short-cirCuted two
ficn tension wires last June and
caused y dozen or more blaZeS. These
" erc fires cf fate. accepted as such.
More concerned, however. with the
rt:iunsi toll of pFeVentahle fire losses.
underwriters and firefiighters have
Joined forces 10 sec that there are no
more Mrs. OLoary's cows.