Show LOSSES BY FIRE the subject of american fire losses Is perennial while the alro losses themselves are continuous tho american society of municipal improvements has just held its annual convention mr alcade chausee addressed its members on the subject of fireproof building construction anthe statistics that he furnished should certainly stimulate some definite action human life may be very cheap but the fact remains that we cannot afford to have people burned to death during one year as was the caso during 1904 this figure maahs an increase and the increase has been steady for many years mr chausee says that our fire losses are equal to a tax ot 23 per year per family when this loss comes to us indirectly by alro we have no complaint to make but that would be very far from the case it it were imposed by direct legislation and yet the result is the same our total losses by alre during six years have been and it be remembered that loss by alre is utter and ir we are also reminded by mr chausee that in addition to the destruction of property ve spend about in alre departments with their many appliances and in improving the same the bocal is almost inconceivable and it is not easy to understand der stand why it is tolerated by a comi com i mercial people the remedy is of course to prevent fires from occurring and this is so much better than extinguishing them when they do occur mr chausee recommends fireproof construction but these words are to cover a multitude of devices that are not fireproof at all nearly all communities have their building ordinances intend ed to fires ana they are all of them different material that Is freely accepted as fireproof ty one set of authorities is expressly and pointedly excluded by another it is only experts that can decide what Is and what lg not fireproof and it is by no means an easy matter for them it has been recommended and wath much force that an interstate congress be held on the subject of fireproof construction in order that some general decisions may be reached and some unanimity arrived at the large majority of fires are certainly preventable and with such figures before us it would seem that no question could bo more pressing or more ripe for settlement |