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Show Bl OUIt ASSVM, I'lltlJ LOSS B ':, Tho disquieting feature ot tho nn- BBBB t I uual report of the National Board or 1 Fire Underwriters la tint tho per B capita roi' ny lot" by iir- In i'i' BUB ' United States enormously exceeds that of any other country In tho world, includlnc Russia, nnd that tho loss la Increasing steadily. Leaving Leav-ing out 1108. vhrn tho cxreptlona' Can rrancij'o c.nUuuahu and fin destroyed ninro than $200,000,000 .of material assets, and 1918. In .which tho figures were ndrcntltuoui-ly ndrcntltuoui-ly swelled by destruction of numerous numer-ous munition plants, tho loss Incurred Incurr-ed In 1019 was tho greatest, both total and por capita, In our filstory. It was $326,000,000 or approximately approximate-ly $000"",000 for each day In tho year. In Great Britain In tho same period per-iod tho per capita lost was the equivalent ot 61 cents. .Leading coontrles on the continent of Europe Eur-ope havo not reported as a whole, but local figures show no marked departure de-parture from tbo records ot past years; for eouio of these countries tho last yearly figures available are Russia, $1.16, ranco 56 cents, Austria, Aus-tria, 37 cents, Germany 36 cents. Tho difference is partly due to construction methods In the countries coun-tries cited, but the fact that tbe situation sit-uation is growing worse In tho U. S. instead ot better cannot be accounted account-ed for In this way, in the face of recent progress In flreprooflng. The view of an underwriter of national reputation, that "by no means the least important cause haa been tbe nervous temperament of our people" Is worth considering, as a factor that can be eliminated In time. The spirit ot hasto la kin to that of carelessness, care-lessness, which may rise to the point of criminal neglect. There Is talk among flro underwriters under-writers of Introducing tho study of flro prevention into tho public schools. Terhnps this would accomplish accom-plish something. But Is would seem that a well thought out mothod of giving civil responsibility for pro-ventnblo pro-ventnblo flre3 might offer a more offeetlvo solution. Or both methods meth-ods might bo tried. Tho fact stands out that tho destruction of $3"24.-000,000 $3"24.-000,000 worth of property by fire, whether or not tho los3 Is covered by Insurance, represents! 100 nor cent aste. |