INCENDIARISM.

INCENDIARISM.

在很大程度上,煽动th的增加is country is a most lamentable fact. It is also a lamentable fact that few convictions for the offence are had in our courts, and consequently few examples are made of the offenders. We have heretofore pointed out the fact that over-insurance, furnishing as it does the motive for incendiarism, is responsible for the increase of the crime. It is but right, therefore, that the insurance companies—accessories before the fact to the crime—should assume the responsibility and cost of detecting and punishing the offenders. In 1875 the companies comprising the National Board of Underwriters, subscribed a fund of $100,000 to be expended in paying rewards offered by their agents for the detection and conviction of the persons guilty of incendiarism. Other companies, not members of the National Board, increased this fund to $110,400. In 1876 a new fund of $100,000 was stibscribed by the National Board. Under this authority, 399 rewards were offered, amounting to the sum of $179,125. In the first year, 13 of the rewards, aggregating $4,500, were claimed and paid from tho fund. Other arrests are pending, so that the probability is that some $12,000 will have been paid from this reward fund. From tho second yoars subscription, sixty rewards, amounting to $22,200 had been offered up to the annual mooting of I the Board for this year. Those figuros ure very suggestive of the great extent to to which tho crime of incendiarism has been carried.

As a remedy for tho ovil, a suggestion is put forth from the Insurance Uepartment of this state, which is endorsed by the National Board, which seems to us to be a very singular one, to say tho least. The plan proposed is the “ creation in every community of a Board of Investigation, composed of the President of the village, a Justice of the Peace, and the Corporation Counsel, clothed with full power to investigate into the origin of every fire, but where no act of! incorporation exists, the Supervisor and two Justices of the Peace could act as such Board ; and in case of a proven incendiary fire, the tax-payers of the city, village or town, shall be hold responsible for tho loss, and pay by taxation the damages caused by the tire proved before the Board referred to. This principle established by law would at once furnish a motive for the most thorough investigation, which motive is now entirely wanting. A company should not insure against the torch of an incendiary. | Arson is a crime against the people, and for tchich the people should be responsible, and the system once established would take away all motive for malicious fires. This principle is meant to apply to individual fires only, not to conflagrations in which the destruction extends beyond the premises fired.” Commenting on this suggestion, President Oakley, of the National Board, says: “ These are strong and brave words; they are true words, and would that they could be burned into the pockets of tax-payors, as they have been