THE INCREASING FIRE LOSSES IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE INCREASING FIRE LOSSES IN THE UNITED STATES.

MR. CHRISTOPHER CLARKE, of Northampton, Mass., in a paper read at the recent convention of the Massachusetts State Firemen’s association by way of comment upon that read before that meeting by Mr. Edward A tkinson, of Boston, on the subject of “The increasing fire losses in the United States—their causes and prevention,” claimed that the suggestions therein made were of no practical value, unless embodied in State laws that shall enforce better protection in the building conditions that are made in the policies he issues.

I wish to add (Mr. Clarke goes on to say) to the suggestions he makes that we should go still farther and not depend alone upon the special methods he has adopted, but add those that may be still better and safer which other experts can offer, and thus reduce the fire loss still more. There is no possible doubt that such building methods are now well known to exist, but cannot be used because there is little or no interest shown by those whose plain and manifest duty it into obtain the needed laws that would save millions of property and many valuable lives. The loss of life in 1899 and 1900 for fifteen months has been greater than ever before, and the loss of property destroyed, was over $200,000,000— an enormous tax on the country.