Year: 1867

There is certain class of insurance comma.
nies that are in the habit Of making prcat
merit of their promptness in paying np losses
without litigation or delay and of boastinp
loudly of this peculiar and questionable merit in
their prospectuses and advertisements. Certain


striking statistics contained in the last report oi
Fire Marshal Durkee to the Board of Supervisors
90 great way toward establishing the astound.
ing proposition that these companies and their
agents are indirectly responsible for large pro-
portion OF the incendiary fires that have recently
been so alarmingly frequent in this city. Indeed,
the Bulletin goes so far as to declare that the
companies of this description are causing forty
fold more loss of property than all the thieves,
housebreakers and burglars in San Francisco" +"
though this statement may possibly be some
what exaggerated, it is nevertheless apparent
from the facts set forth in Marshal Durkee's re-
port, that there is some sinister connection be-
tween the large number of incediary fires in this


city and the g liberal,' or more properly speak


ipg, the reckless policy of such companies as


the . Builders in paying losses promptly


and without litigation OF thirty-six incedi-


ary fires which occurred within the last three


months, seventeen originated in places insured


in the Builders exclusively. and three more IN


places insured in that and some other office


jointly The honest merchant or property owner


whose stock in trade, or whose premises are de-


stroyed by fire, has nothing to fear from close


investigation of the origin or cause OF the dis


aster. 1t is only the man who has effected an


insurance beyond the value of his property with


a criminal intent who need deprecate such amin


yestigation. 1t is possible that the companies


that have adopted the free and easy style of in


surance may find the business profitable one,
and that the popularity gained by their prompt
ness in paying suspicious claims may gain for
them such amount of business as to enable
them to meet the heavy losses entailed by the
1av no1so ,-.I,o~- I,o,-o =,


but it does not seem to US at al probable, and in
our judgment the public would be fully warrants
ed in entertaining some doubt rs to the stability
and solvency of offices the popularity of which is
based upon their reputation for ready payment
of all claims without question investigation.
But entirely aside from the consideration as TO
what is for the interest of the stockholders of
the companies, it is plain that this style of doing
business is opposed to the interests of the COM
munity at large. The incendiary who sets fire to


bis own premises for the purpose of realizing an
exorbitant insurance, destroys also the unin-
sured store or home stead of his honest neighbor
The swindle practiced upon the Office may be re-
garded as no more than just retributiOn of its
criminal feckessness, but the ruin incidentally
in.iicted upon the innocent is crime which |
every upright member of the community is in |
terested in bringing to punishment. Some idea
of the frghtfu1 extent to which the evil has
grown i'll this city may be gathered from the fact,
which appears from the Fire Marshal's official
report, that during three months Of the current
year, incediaries insured in the aggregated to
the amount Of S7l 900 have destroyed, in order
fraudulently to, realize that sum, property be-
longing to their neighbors that was uninsured
amounting to S46,497. From all of which we
feel justified in charging that the class of insur-
ance companies that conduct business upon
J." liberal and free and easy principles are con-
tinually offering premiums for the commission of
one of the grayest and most dangerous crimes
known to the law.-San francisco Dramatic
Chronicle