费城的大火危害。
PHILADELPHIA’S conflagration hazard continues to be literally the burning topic in fire insurance circles, and the withdrawal of the underwriters from the congested business districts has caused great dissatisfaction among the merchants and storekeepers, who loudly condemn the laissez-faire policy of the municipal authorities in dealing with this ail-important question. Mr. John Wanamaker, whose enormous business interests are greatly affected by the realization of the fact that the lack of proper fire protection makes the risk too great for careful underwriters to assume at the current rates, has published a long statement on the subject, which can be condensed into the following suggestion—namely, the appointment of a committee, composed of the chief of the fire department, chief of the water department, director of public safety, three fire underwriters and three members of the city council—this committee to investigate carefully the dangerous condition of affairs and make recommendations. One of these recommendations might well be, that the citizens of Philadelphia shall insist that the municipal authorities of the city must at once disregard the intrigues of the political and other heelers, who are watching out for whatever fat pickings they can grab, and see to it that the welfare of the community alone shall form the basis of protective action. What is to be done should be done at once.
PHILADELPHIA’S conflagration hazard continues to be literally the burning topic in fire insurance circles, and the withdrawal of the underwriters from the congested business districts has caused great dissatisfaction among the merchants and storekeepers, who loudly condemn the laissez-faire policy of the municipal authorities in dealing with this ail-important question. Mr. John Wanamaker, whose enormous business interests are greatly affected by the realization of the fact that the lack of proper fire protection makes the risk too great for careful underwriters to assume at the current rates, has published a long statement on the subject, which can be condensed into the following suggestion—namely, the appointment of a committee, composed of the chief of the fire department, chief of the water department, director of public safety, three fire underwriters and three members of the city council—this committee to investigate carefully the dangerous condition of affairs and make recommendations. One of these recommendations might well be, that the citizens of Philadelphia shall insist that the municipal authorities of the city must at once disregard the intrigues of the political and other heelers, who are watching out for whatever fat pickings they can grab, and see to it that the welfare of the community alone shall form the basis of protective action. What is to be done should be done at once.
