CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE

Greenville and the Tariff Association.

To the Editor:—Through the medium of your valuable Journal I wish to ask all fire chiefs to give me what information they can and help me and my city to break away from the grasp the underwriters have on our growing city (our population is now about 25,000). I have been trying to improve the fire department equipment and have our insurance rates reduced. From time to time the Underwriters have made inspections and after each inspection their suggestions take the form of threats to increase the rates unless we make further improvements as suggested. The citizens of our city are now about to rebel and several of our local organizations intend to help break away from the Southeastern Tariff Association subsidiary insurance companies, and try mutual or co-operative insurance companies. The merchants and business men are all with us. So T am appealing to you and all fire chiefs to show ns here, how we may start something that will make us immune to further contact with the tariff association. Several times we were about to install a modern fire alarm system in the past years, and recently the Chamber of Commerce and our aldermanlc body were ready to install the Gamcwell System; but as soon as we communicated this information to the Tariff Association, we were informed that all policies would have to carry a co-insurance clause and, of course, this was simply another drawback and the merchants became disgusted. So, it is their intention to invite all mutual insurance companies here; and, furthermore, a committee will probably go before the State authorities and legislators to bring about certain legislation. 1 have.been informed that a few years ago other cities in this State, South Carolina, threatened to. and did start something but the Tariff Association immediately retrenched. T understand that several other States in the Union have State Insurance Departments and we are now getting into communication with these to_ the end that we may profit by their experience and be governed accordingly. I, therefore, earnestly appeal to all brother chiefs who can enlighten me, to please do so by writing me a personal letter and help me to bring my fire department up to a standard and reduce the rates for the taxpayers of our beautiful and growing city. I think it is high time the matter of insurance rates in this State gets another airing.