Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1918 — BEGIN FIGHT ON WOOD SHINGLE [ARTICLE]

BEGIN FIGHT ON WOO D SHINGLE

Plan Penalizing Man Who Uses Combustible Roofing. (By C. M. Cartwright.) Fire insurance interests are going to make war on the wooden shingle and recently rating organi-

zations throughout the country in sending out revised rates have added a charge for the shingle roof. There has been much agitation recently among insurance companies as to the danger of the shingle roof, it being the cause of so many socalled chimney losses and also a breeder of conflagrations. The recent conflagration at Atlanta, Georgia, which swept seventyfive blocks of houses, involving a property loss of $4,500,000, is directly traceable to shingle roofs. It is found in every conflagration of this character that burning shingles are carried a mile or so away, starting new fires, and finally the blaze gets beyond the control of the fire department. Fire protection bodies have been telling the people about the danger of .shingle roofs for some time, but seemingly little heed was paid to these warnings. Now the man with a shingle roof dwelling is to be penalized and. considering the extra fire insurance premiums lie will have to pay, it will be to his advantage to put on a noncombustible roof at the start. The three conflagrations last year—Paris, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee. and Augusta, Georgia were all traceable to the shingle roof. During the last six months .or so insurance organizations have been collecting data as to the shingle roof menace, and so startling were the returns that the rating authorities at once decided that it was necessary to make a for the shingle roof. In Chicago .the Chicago board of underwriters. a few years ago began allowing credit for a noncombustible roof. In some cities the fire insurance men have been active in calling attention to the danger of shingle roofs that ordinances have been ipassed making shingle roofs prohibitive in the fire I district. The higher cost of materials and labor have made fire losses much .more expensive to the insurance companies and hence more than ever they are active in attempting to reduce all physical hazards to a minimum. It was found at Atlanta, for instance, that where an owner did

not carry sufficient insurance or had none at all the blow fell on him more heavily than he anticipated, owing to the present price of building materials. Even at Atlanta insurance men had been urging the adoption of an ordinance preventing s'hingle roots, pointing out the possible dangers, and yet sufficient influence could not be brought to bear to induce the city council to act. In most of the cities today are large residential areas with shingle roofs, and none is free from the conflagration hazard. Tiow that the rating authorities are taking hold of the situation and penalizing the shingle roof residence and’ making it an object to have nohcombustible roofs, the newer structures, no doubt, will find it to their advantage to use approved fireproof Shingles.