Show rats and fires at a time when everyone lg Is complaining pla ining oj of the high cost of living it might be well to see if we cannot eliminate two ino great soll sources re es of waste far fires es and rats rats most fires are are needless all rats are so some years ago of the rat problem in philadelphia arrived fit at the conclusion that the rodents s ot of that C city y a ate e more than a million dollars worth of food each year at that rate the dis disgusting gu s ting creatures cabi can hardly cost less than 4 7 per year to the whole country this Is a pretty high price to pay for the companionship of impish pests which besides their other bad habits babits undermine fleors a and d carry tho most dreaded ot 01 all diseases bubonic plague pingue yet tet fires clr es ard mori more expensive than rats in 1915 the li last year for foi r which figures are are it at hand tha american people paid out la in premiums for fire 1 insurance ns urance of this vast sum lit at I 1 lehst e ast thre fourths could be ba saved by bv reducing ear ar tire record to the he rate preva prevailing ailing I 1 england franco france or germany ind and even la in our time and notion nation per year Is a saving worth noting land annd onet one which would have a perceptible effect on tile the ost of living |