10
THE SUNDAY OHEGOXIAX. PORTLAND, JULY 28, 1908.
MOV
E TO REPEAL
E
INSURANG
LI
Business Men Favor Letting
Down Bars to Compet
ing Companies.
STATE REQUIRES DEPOSIT
if Act Were Revoked, Many More
Concerns Would Seek Business In
Oregon, Wrecking Combine
and Reducing Rates.
That tffb flat charge of 25 per cent that
has been added to the Insurance rates
n 320 prominent business blocks of
Portland by the board of fire under
writers of the Pacific, of San Fran
cisco, will lead to the repeal of the de
posit law In this state at the next
session of the Legislature, and the
consequent addition to the number of
Insurance companies doing business in
lhls state, is the belief of business
men of the city, as well as of prom
inent fire insurance agents.
There are 57 Insurance companies
Soing business In this state. Insur
ance premiums are reported annually
to the amount of $1,500,000. It Is es
timated by men in a position to know
that $250,000 or more goes to non
entered companies. It Is pointed out
that the difficulty of making such an
Increased charge for fire Insurance
would be practically Impossible were
the bars taken down so that a large
number of other companies could come
Into this state and transact business.
In fact, Oregon is one of the three
states of the Union that has a de
posit law. Washington, for example,
has no such act, and there are prob
ably 157 fire insurance companies do
ing business in that state. It is held
that the tax just levied by the under
writers against the business Interests
of Portland would be impossible in
Washington because of the competi
tion between companies.
There was a movement on foot at
the last session of the Legislature to
effect the repeal of the deposit law,
an act being formed in Portland and
presented at Salem, but failed of pass
age. V. J. Clemens, a prominent in
surance man of this city, is said to
have helped frame the act, in connec
tion with the Chamber of Commerce.
Business men generally, who are
hard hit by the new order of the un
derwriters, urge repeal of the deposit
law at the coming session, and an agi
tation to that end has already been
started.
The Increase of rates, which is de
nounced as arbitrary, means a heavy
tax on Portland business Interests. It
adds thousands of dollars every year
to the cost of fire Insurance. Business
men are outspoken against this addi
tional burden, and divide the blame
about equally between the Portland
Railway, Light & Power Company and
the underwriters. Many predict that
the electric company will be forced to
comply with the requirement of the
underwriters because of the wide
spread indignation of the business in
terests. The leading business buildings of
Portland are affected by the added tax
of the insurance companies. Among
the 320 risks cpon which the rate has
been raised are the following promi
nent buildings: . ,
Portland Railway. Light & Power Com
pany's building. First and Alder streets.
St Charles Hotel, Front and Morrison.
Hotel Matthlesen, Main and Front.
Mulkev building. Second and Morrison.
I O. 6. F. building. First and Alder.
Columbia building. Third and Oak.
Abington building. 104 Third.
McKay building. Third and Stark.
Concord building, Second and Stark.
Falling building. Third and Washington.
A. O. U. W. Temple, Second and Tay
. lor.
Hotel Lenox. Third and Main.
Worcester building. Third and Oak.
Fleischner-Mayer Company. 31 Front.
Labbe building. Second and Washing
ton. Lumber Exchange building. Second and
Stark.
Ainsworth building. Third and Oak.
Chamber of Commerce, Third and
Stark.
Sherlock building. Third and Oak.
Canterbury building, Third and Wash
ington. Hotel Belvedere, Fourth and Alder.
Washington building, Fourth and
Washington.
Dekum building, Third and Washing
ton. Hamilton building. 129 Third.
Alisky building. Third and Morrison.
Alaska dock, foot of Gllsan.
Goodnough building. Fifth and Yamhill.
Y. M. C. A. building, Fourth and Yam
hill. Benson building. Fourth and Morrison.
Acheson building. 14S Fifth.
Honeyman Hardware Company, Fourth
and Alder.
Swetland building, Fifth and Washing
ton. Buchanan building, 288 Washington.
Macleay building. Fourth and Washing
ton. Rothchild building, Fourth and Wash
ington. Pantages Theater. Fourth and Stark.
Wadhams & Co., Fourth and Oak.
Breyman Leather Company, Fifth and
Oak.
M. Seller & Co.. Fifth and Pine.
Goodyear Rubber Company, Fourth and
Pine.
Marshall-Wells. Fourth and Pine.
Commercial Club building. Fifth and
Oak.
Poison Implement Company, Front and
Tavlor.
Portland Sash & Door Factory, 230
Front.
Fisher-Thorscn Company, Front and
Morrison.
Lowengart & Co.. Front and Stark.
Elks building. Seventh and Stark.
Merrill building. Seventh and Oak.
Wells Fargo building. Sixth and Oak.
Oregon Hotel, Seventh and Stark.
Smith & Watson Iron Works, Front
and Hall.
Monastes building. First and Jefferson.
City Market building. Third and Mar
ket United States Postoffice. Fifth and
Morrison.
Stearns building. Sixth and Morrison.
Meier & Frank store, Sixth and Mor
rison. Raleigh building. Sixth and Washing
ton. Oregonlan building. Sixth and Alder.
Marquam Grand Theater, Sixth and
. .Morrison.
Alexandra 'Court. 53 Ella.
Tull & Gibbs building. Seventh and
Morrison.
Lewis building. Park and Morrison.
Calumet Hotel. 148 Park.
Grand Theater, Park and Washington. I
Lyric Theater, fceventn ana Aiaer.
Selling-Hlrsch building. Tenth and
Washington.
1 Masonic Temple, Park and Yamhill.
I. add School, Tenth and Madison.
Elton Court. Eleventh and Yamhill.
Tllford building. Tenth and Morrison.
Hotel Antlers, Tenth and Washington.
FUedner building. Tenth and Wash
ington. Hotel Nortonla, Eleventh and Stark.
Hotel Breslin, Eleventh and Washing
ton. Davis School. Twenty-first and Raleigh.
West Side High School, Fourteenth and
Morrison.
Hellig Theater, Fourteenth and Wash
ington. Scottish Rite Cathedral, Lownsdalo and
Exposition building, Nineteenth and
.. ,-1. 1.. .
Allen & Lewis, Front and Davis.
Lang & Co., First and Ankeny.
Closset & Devers. Front and Ankeny.
Portland Gas Company, First and Ev
erett. Fenton building. 84 Sixth street.
Phoenix building. Fifth and Oak.
Commonwealth building. Sixth and An
keny. Golden West Hotel, Seventh and Ev
erett. United States Custom-House, Park and
Everett.
Atkinson School. Twelfth and Couch.
First Presbyterian Church, Twelfth and
Alder.
Hotel Danmoore, Fourteenth and
v asningron.
Star Theater. Park and Washington.
Columbia building. Park and Washing
ton. Cornelius Hotel. Park and Alder.
Hotel Eaton. Park and Morrison
Hotel Gordon. West Park and Yamhill.
Columbia Steel Company, Ninth and
Johnson.
Ainsworth dock, foot of Third.
Greenwich dock. No. 2. Front and
Marshall.
Pacific Coast Company, 'coal bunkers.
Front and Tenth.
American Can Company, Front and
HVirtAnth.
Willamette Iron & Steel Works, Front
and Roosevelt.
The list Includes a host of other build
ings on the West Side and a large num
ber on the East Side of the river in the
business district. '
COMPANY MAY REVISE SYSTEM
Josselyn, However, Declares Xew
Rates Mere Robbery.
Efforts will be made by the Portland
Railway, Light & Power Company so to
change its power circuits as to meet with
the approval of the Board of Under
writers of the Pacific and cause the un
derwriters to remove the additional tax
for Are Insurance just laid against this
city. However, it is not yet certain that
the change can be made without the pur
chase of a large amount of special ma
chinery that would be entirely useless
upon the completion of the company's un
derground system of cables, and this
President Josselyn declines to make. If
the circuits can be separated without
spending hundreds of thousands of dol
lars for machinery that can be used only
a short time, the desired change will be
made.
"I am Informed by our engineers." said
President Josselyn yesterdey, "that 90
per cent of the cities of the country have
the same character of service as we have
here. Portland is by no means an isolated
case, but I have no knowledge of the un
derwriters having arbitrarily raised in
surance rates anywhere else. In many
cities the 500-voIt current is fed to the
consumer directly from the trolley wires,
which Is not the case here.
Rates Xot Raised Elsewhere.
"The main objection raised by the un
derwriters is that of possible damage as
the result of electrical storms. Otherwise
no criticism is made against the present
system. The fact of the nearly entire
absence of electrical disturbances here
puts us In a preferred class as compared
with any other section of the United
States. We are not advised that the un
derwriters have taken similar action in
any other city. Being familiar with the
electrical situation all over the country,
it is my firm conviction that the com
panies contemplated a general increase of
rates for Portland but could not find any
just cause for such Increase throughout
the city and so hung their hat on the
6fiO-voIt current as an excuse. Under our
climatic conditions, this tax is unjustified
and Is absolute robbery.
"We are not going to buy new ma
chinery to overcome the difficulty at the
expense of hundreds of thousands of dol
lars In the face of the plan to go under
ground, which will make the machinery
valueless to us. I told the underwriters'
committee three weeks ago that if It
considered the situation so alarming, we
could cut off the 500-volt service and stand
our loss by reason of the reduced current
consumption, but the damage to the com
munity would be incalculable because all
the motors would have to shut down. I
pointed out to the committee that the
public should be considered in preference
to ourselves.
Plan to Separate Circuits.
"The loss of the Cazadero plant has
compelled us to make different plans for
generating and distributing from our
present apparatus, which are costly and ,
would not be resorted to except in the
present emergency. I believe this will
result in our being able to cut off all
grounded .circuits and put in a metallic
return circuit that will separate
the generating machinery desired
by the underwriters. If this Is
found feasible. It will be done
without delay. Then the sincerity of the
arbitrary increase of rates by the under
writers will be put to the test. If we
find the plan feasible and It Is put Into
operation, it will be done with the un
derstanding that the reliability of the
present lighting and power circuits will
possibly be materially Interfered with,
for, in the event of the machines getting
a greater load than they can carry, in
effective service will bo given."
Dignified
Credit
to
All
Commencing Monday Morning at 8 o'Clock
We have just received two cars of furniture which in order to samnle necessitates nur rrmlrinrf
room on our exhibition floor, which is already crowded with odd and end samples. This week
we are going to close these out at cost, along with other broken lines of patterns. Don't
delay your coming. Be here just as soon as possible if you want good furniture at cost
ODDS
and .
ENDS
SALE
of
SAMPLES
$9.00 weathered oak Mission Rocker,
wood seat, exactly like cut; S1A 7Zl
sale price V
$36.00 Princess Dresser, in birdseye maple
and quarter-sawed oak, polished finish, 18x
40 French bevel-plate mir- 90
$22.50 China Cabinet, has 4 shelves, round
glass ends, quarter-sawed fij "1 J O C
oak, in weathered finish plx00
$36.00 Buffet, quarter-sawed oak, pol
ished finish, 23x45-in. top, 12x38 French
bevel-plate mirror; sale
price
$45.00 quarter-sawed oak Buffet, hand-
pohshed; has 3 drawers
and two doors
$23.50
$29.00
$3.00 Iron Bed, three-quarters and full size,
green or white
$1.95
In this page of cuts we are able to show only a few
of the many reductions we are offering in the various
lines. Our store is full of bargains we must make
room on our sample floor, and a visit will convince
you that this is not an ordinary opportunity. Profit
by these money-saving prices.
$11.00 L ad y ' s
Desk, 27 inches
wide, in imita
tion m a hogany
or genuine oak;
reduced to
$6.35
These sale
prices
make it
well worth
your while
to buy
furniture
NOW.
$7.50 Sanitary Folding Couch, made of high- GZA 7C
grade steel, National fabric top pi
$4.00 Couch Covers, in green and browns $2.35
$3.50 Couch Covers, reduced to Sj1.95
$27.50 6-ft. Oak Pedestal Extension Table, t "I f TC
beautifully polished, quarter-sawed oak top. . P O
Out of
town or
ders filled
promptly.
Terms on
specials
strictly
cash.
$16.50 Music Cabinet,1
genuine mahog any,
Sheraten design, in
polished or dull finish.
Has five shelves
$9.25
IB
V
President Josselyn points out that in
the event of the installation of machinery
to change the direct current to an alter
elevator In the city out of commission
1
Dresser
Goes
10
Seaside
For the information of my friends in Portland, and particularly those
who have Summer homes at the sea, I wish to say that my biisiness interests
are now entirely centered at Seaside, West Seaside and Gearhart Park, and
that my connection with the F. DRESSER CO., at Fifth and Stark streets,
has been completely severed. Associated with me in the ownership of
these stores is A. R. Wascher, of Portland.
I am right on the ground, giving my personal attention to the wants of
Seaside residents, and hope to receive the same loyal support you have given
me these many years. .
We have a buyer in the Portland market every day, so our customers
can depend on getting service that is beyond complaint, and at the closest
prices for which first-class goods can be purchased. Advance orders will
be given special attention. Write a day or two ahead and we will see that
your necessities are on hand, waiting for 3rour arrival.
I wish to say again that the support you have given me in the past is
appreciated, and hoping to receive your continued patronage, I beg to re
main, sincerely,
F.
DRESSER
SEASIDE
WEST SEASIDE
GEARHART PARK
The Irvington store at Fifteenth and Broadway is now owned and oper
ated by F. W. and P. G. Wascher.
and every motor used for manufacturing rebuilt to fit the new conditions and the disturbance to business conditions would
purposes. Thee motors would have to be I nating one. it would nut every electric I be widespread.
Met
zefer Acre Tracts
On the Salem Electric Line, Only 30 Minutes' Ride From the Heart of the City.
WHAT ONE OF THESE ACRES WILL DO
It will double in value in a very short time
Properly tilled, it will produce almost enough to insure a comfortable com
petency for life.
It will provide a most desirable and healthy location on which to build a
home. With all the advantages of country life, yet only a 30-minute ride from
the heart of the city.
It will pay for itself in a few years, as it is ideal ground on which to raise
fruit, vegetables, berries or walnuts.
It provides, at a trifling cost, the opportunity to live in comfort amidst the
best and most healthful surroundings.
To prove the truth of every statement made in this ad., take the cars
at Front and Jefferson streets, enjoy a delightful ride, get off at Mctzger Sta
tion, and see for yourself. You will not hesitate or regret buying one or more
of these acres.
PRICE $200 AND UPWARDS
PRICE $200 and up per acre, according to location.
TERMS 10 per cent cash and 3 per cent of the pur
::. chase price per month.
INTEREST 6 per cent per annum on deferred pay
ments. ON CASH PAYMENTS a discount will be allowed.
For particulars and beautiful descriptive plat call at our Portland office, 226
228 Front street, or at Metzger Station. All cars and trains stop at Metzger 's.
HERMAN METZGER, Owner
Office Phones, Main 474 A 1374. Agents and Phone at Station Pacific 2019.