Evening star., 1927-05-02
HALF BILLION LOST
BY FIRE LAST YEAR
Gov. Walker Gives Figures
and Presents Commerce
Chamber Awards.

More than $500, 200, 600 worth OF
property sum equivalent to the
cost Of the Panama Canal-Was sacfl-
feed to fire in the United States last
year. Gov. Clifford Walker of Georgia
told the National Councillors of the
United States Chamber Of Commerce
this afternoon. This amount was S4,-
146.2S2 less than the average loss foI
the preceding five years, he said
Gov. Walker appeared before the
council to present awards of bronze
plaques in the Inter-Chamber fire
waste contest for 1926, from the Ma
tional Fire Waste Council of the
Chamber of Commerce. The Albany,
Ga, Chamber of Commerce took first
place for the entire country and for
class four. comprising cities of less
than 10000 population Milwaukee,
Wis. took first place for class one,
cities over 100000; Huntington, W.
Va. in class ., between $4,000 and
10000; and OwensbOro, Ky, in class
three, between 10000 and $4,000.
The fifteenth annual convention of
the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States opened at 10 O'Clock
with a meeting of the geographical
and the trade sections in the Chamber
of Commerce Building. The conven-
ton will continue through Thursday.
President Coolidge will address the
session tomorrow night. when dele
gates TO the third Pan-American com
mercial conference Will meet jointly
with the chamber.
Selecting New Directors.
Seventeen members of the clam
bers board of directors were being
noon.
Rapid progress in fire prevention
throughout the country was reported
by Gov. Walker in his address.
Prior TO 1923 it is doubtful If so
chambers of commerce throughout the
country had fire prevention commit
tees" he said. I'm 1928 only 20 cities
submitted reports. Last year 303
were received"
Scores of cities which five years
ago could not be induced to observe
Fire Prevention week nor are asking
for assistance and material to carry on
year-around programs, the governor
said.
Causes of deaths by fire are being
studied by a committee of the National
Fire Waste Council, he said. Two
separate surveys which have been
undertaken in nine states show that
the most deaths are attributable to
improper use of infiammable liquids
and open fires, such as bonfres, stoves
and fireplaces.
Every day number of persons are
burned to death because they fail to
heed simple precautionary measures
which would render them safe" Gov.
Walker declared.
Results of the 1926 contest show
II a Iy1.,4 ,4xa5
with the average for the preceding five
years, and a reduction of S4, 1929 in
property loss, he said. The average
per capita loss in 1926 was $3.07, com
pared to $3.77 for 1927. In 1925 1917
per cent of all the cities reduced life
loss as compared to 20 per cent in
1925; CO.'S per cent reduced property
loss as compared TO 56.4 per cent in
1925, and 2S.5 per cent reduced their
number of fires as compared to Ill
per cent in 1927.
Honorable mention in the contest
was given to the following cities, the
governor announced:
Glass Philadelphia, Portland
ore; Rochester, n. Y.;~Detroit, Mich;
New Orleans, La; Indianapolis, Ind;
Sort Worth, Tex: Seattle. Wash;
Grand Rapids, Mich, and Wilmington,
Del.
Class Pasadena, Calf; New
Britain, Conn: Springfield, Ohio; Bay
City, Mich; McKeesport, Pa; Bethle-
hem, Pa; Fresno, Calf; st. Joseph,
Mo-; Charleston, w. Va, and Wichita
Kans.
Class Three Cities.
Class 3-Yakinla, Wash; Mansfield,
Ohio; Matte Creek, Mich; Petersburg,
Va; Uniontown, Pa; Butler, Pa;
Baton Rouge, La; Hagerstown, Nd;
Lerain, Ohio, and Riverside, Calf.
Glass. billings, Mont; Fullerton,
Calf: Laconia, n. H; Oceanside,
Calf; Weston, w. Va; Terrence,
Calf; NARROW, Okla; Pekin. H.; Fre-
mont, Mich; Ardmore, Okla, and
Blackwell, Okla.
The American committee Of the
international chamber will hold its
seventh annual dinner at 7:30 o'clock
this evening at the Mayflower Hotel.
Delegates to the Pan-American Com
mercial Conference will be guests.
Speakers will be Thomas w. Lamont
Of J. p. Morgan & Co.; Roy d. Chaplin,
chairman Of the board of the Hudson
Motor Car Co, and William II. Booth,
vice president of the Guaranty Trust
Co.
President John w. OLeary will de-
liver his annual address at the first
general session of the convention to-
morrow morning. Committee appoint
ments will be made and the report of
the board of directors submitted
Haley F'iske, president of the Metro
politan Life Insurance Co, will speak
on New Responsibilities of the Busi-
ness Man" During the meeting
special groups representing the prin-
Cipal divisions of American business
will hold private sessions.
Separate sections will hold luncheon
meetings tomorrow at l o'clock as
follows; Agriculture section at the
Mayflower Hotel, civic development
section at the Hotel Washington
finance at the Washington, insurance
at the Willard Hotel and manufac
turing at the Willard.
Dinner meetings will be held to
morrow night at 6 o'clock by the
National Association of Commercial
Organization Secretaries at the vii
lard and by the American Trade As
sociation Executives at the May
flower.
viii Hold joint Meeting.
The joint meeting with the Pan
American Conference will begin al
500 o'clock at the Washington Audi
torium. Following n concert by the
United States Army Band under Capt
William Stannard the salute to the
flag will be given. The anthems o1
the q republics represented in the
Pan-American Union will then be
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