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JUNE 9. 1004. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



J03 



GREENHOUSE INSURANCE. 



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"It isn't 80 very long ago that an 

 insurance man would shy clear across the 

 street when he saw the word 'green- 

 liouse,'" said Henry W. Magill, of the 

 Phoenix of Hartford, in. a recent con- 

 versation, **and> even now they prick 

 up their ears when the word appears." 

 "Up to the last few years the ex- 

 perience of every company writing 

 greenhouse property was the reverse of 

 satisfactory; the construction was faul- 

 ty, the hazard great, and in consequence 

 rates were so high as to be almost pro- 

 hibitive, say from three to five per cent, 

 Avhile many risks were refused alto- 

 gether. That most companies are now 

 writing more greenhouse insurance than 

 heretofore, and at materially lower rates, 

 is due entirely to improved methods of 

 construction. And even now in the gen- 

 eral offices of most insurance compa- 

 nies greenhouse risks are accepted with 

 reluctance and only in limited amount; 

 for instance the Phoenix will write no 

 more than $1,500 on any one range even 

 under the most favorable circum- 

 stances. ' ' 



"I doubt if any of the representative 

 companies would care to go on record 

 as looking for greenhouse business," 

 said the chief examiner in the general 

 office of one of the big Brooklyn com- 

 panies and, withal, one of the most lib- 

 eral. ' * Yet they ar« all writing more 

 or less of such risks, because of im- 

 proved conditions, and it may safely 

 be set down that where a greenhouse 

 owner cannot get insurance through the 

 agents in his own town it is because of 

 conditions which make that particular 

 risk one of extra hazard." 



January 23, 1903, the Chicago Under- 

 writers' Association issued a new sched- 

 ule on greenhouse property which was 

 equivalent ' to a reduction in rates of 

 about thirty-three and one-third per 

 cent, "because of the better character 

 of the buildings and greater attention 

 to those matters which have to do with 

 the reduction of the hazard," says H. 

 H. Glidden, manager of the association, 

 which is a clearing house for all in- 

 surance business in Cook county and 

 the counterpart of many similar associa- 

 tions throughout the United States. 



It must be understood that insurance 

 practices are pretty much the same 

 throughout the United States but that 

 rates are variable. For instance, the 

 rates in general increase slightly from 

 cast to west, because of what insurance 

 men call the "moral hazard," it being 

 argued that the farther west one goes 

 the greater is the inclination of the 

 people toward speculative enterprise and 

 other things calculated to upset the 

 mathemati^ principles on which the in- 

 surance business is conducted. Then, 

 too, rates vary in different communities 

 wcaiise of the expense of doing business, 

 i>e(ause of good or inefficient fire protec- 

 tion and for other reasons. But of far 

 greater importance in influence on the 

 cost of insurance are the details which 

 oontribute to the increase or decrease 

 of what^ the insurance riian calls the 

 "liazaid" in each individual case. In 



cases of this kind the agent has no pre- 

 determined rate, as he has for dwell- 

 ings, stores, etc., but the rate is fixed 

 by the rating officer of the district ac- 

 cording to the conditions of each in- 

 dividual case as reported by the inspec- 

 tor. 



It therefore behooves every florist to 

 examine his greenhouse plant with a 

 view to remedying those conditions which 

 are making his insurance more costly 

 than is necessary, or perhaps prevent- 

 ing his getting his risk accepted by any. 

 reliable company. 



While, as has been said, details vary 

 in different localities, principles are the 

 same and a study of the schedule in use 

 by the Chicago Underwriters' Associa- 



the superintendent sends out a surveyor, 

 or inspector, who reports on all details 

 of construction and any fact of condi- 

 tions not shown on the map. On his 

 report the rate is based. 



It will be noted that the boiler must 

 "be safely set in a brick room." Fail- 

 ure to observe this point is likely to 

 make the rate prohibitive or to result 

 in causing the risk to be declined alto- 

 gether. If the houses have brick wails, 

 iron gutters or iron bars the rate may 

 be reduced accordingly. Proper clear- 

 ance of steam pipes is required in all 

 cases, also safe lighting. Then the basis 

 for the rate is $1, that is, one per cent 

 of the amount of the policy, provided 

 there be not over 10,000 feet in the 

 range. If over 10,000 feet the rate is 

 3 cents higher for each additional 5,000 

 feet. 



If the boiler is in a frame building, 

 or if in the main building, the rate is 

 advanced 25 cents on each $100 of in- 

 surance. If the stack is of metal and 

 passes through the roof the rate goes 

 up 15 cents more and if the steam pipes 

 have not proper clearance from wood 



THE CHICAGO UNDERWRITERS' ASSOCIATION. 



Map Vol.. 

 Name . 



COMMERCIAL GREENHOUSE SCHEDULE. 

 Page 



Location- 



Standabd— House frame not exceeding 10.000 square feet of Kfound area. Heat- 

 ing by hot water or low pressure steam, apparatus to be safely set in a brick 

 room. 8team pipes to have proper clearance from wood. Lighting, elec- 

 tric, gas or approved lanterns. Occupancy greenhouse only. Basis 



Note — If structure, except beater room, be of briek or part brick the super- 

 intendent of ratings may reduce the basis proportionately. 



Arka— For each additional 5,000 square feet or larger fractional part thereof, add 



Heating— If in frame room, or in main building, add 



If stack or chimney of metal and passes roof add not less than 



If steam heat used and piping has not proper clearance from wood, add not 

 less than 



If fire heat (flue) used, add not less than. 



Lkjhting— If other than electric, gas or approved lanterns, add not leu than 



ExposuEES— Add at discretion. 



OcruPANCY— If occupied for other than the raising^ or potting of plants, add ac 

 cording to hazard at discretion. 



Charge for stable accupancy not to be less than. 



Protection— If not provided with barrels of water and pails, hose service or fire 

 extinguishers as required, add not less than^ 



If not well under public fire protection, add not less than. 



BCTLDINQ RaTE_ 



Contents- Except plants in frame buildings to rate same as building. In brick 

 and brick and frame buildings 25 cents more than building. Plants to rate 

 $1.00 more than building in all cases. ~ 



i 



$1.00 



.a5 



.25 

 .15 



.15 



1.00 



.15 



.25 



.25 

 .25 



Note— All dwellings and bams exposed by greenhouses within 50 feet to be specifically rated at the 

 discretion of the superintendent of ratings. 



Greenhouses and contents to be classed as now, ordinary business, both as to term rates and 

 commisslonH. 



Surveyed. 



.190 



.Surveyor. 



NOTE-Surveyor. ofi the back of this sheet will give Diagram, if not on Map Exposures condi- 

 tion of Risks and Reciuests for Improvements. ' 



tion will afford an index to the pro- 

 cedure and a key to the points to be 

 observed in new buildings or in mak- 

 ing changes. The schedule is repro- 

 duced herewith. The Association has a 

 map showing practically all, buildings 

 in its djwrritory, theii;^ location, "ex- 

 l)0sure9>" etc. n On receipt of an applica- 

 tion for a rating on unrated property 



another 15 cents is added. Tliese charges 

 seem well grounded, for the history "of 

 greenhouse fires shows that practically all 

 originate in the boiler shed, and it is 

 only the part of prudence to go to some 

 little expense to fireproof it. Indeed! 

 in many places recently built, especial- 

 ly in the east, the heating plant is in a 

 detached fireproof building. 



