San Jose State University SJSU ScholarWorks Special Libraries, 1925 Special Libraries, 1920s 5-1-1925 Special Libraries, May 1925 Special Libraries Association Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1925 Part of the Cataloging and Metadata Commons, Collection Development and Management Commons, Information Literacy Commons, and the Scholarly Communication Commons Recommended Citation Special Libraries Association, "Special Libraries, May 1925" (1925). Special Libraries, 1925. Book 5. http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1925/5 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Libraries, 1920s at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Special Libraries, 1925 by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Contents ARTICLES Around the World With the Insurance Year Books. By Abbie G. Glover .........-.......... .................................................... 157 C;lsualty Inwranc=. By Jesse S. Phillips................................... 1 4 1 'T'hI,l&at;onal -Ji;o:!c of the Casualty Actuarial Society. R! Pi~!nrdFmdiller ......................................... 1 43 Iosuiairce J~l)m:~es;n the United States .......................................... 15 1 The Literature of Fire Insurance. By D. N. Handy............ 146 The Place in Insurance Business of Organized Insurance Libraries. By Frederick Richardson ................................... 145 The Public Service of Fire Insurance. By W. E. Mallalieu ............................................................................................. 139 NOTES Baking Library ........................................................................................ 1 69 City Planning ................................................................................................ 158 Convention News-Transportation .................................................. 1 7 1 Convention Notice ..................................................................................... 1 68 Cover Design ................................................................................................... 175 Information. Bureaux and Specialist Libraries in Great . Brltain ..................................................................................................... 156 The Library and Research ............................................................. 1 59. 1 69 Personal Notice ....................................................................................... 159 159 Publishing Annual. .of Interest ............................................................ Report of Nominat~ngCommittee .................................................... 156 Secretary of Labor's Report ................................................................. 1 44 Section on Cataloging and Classification .................................... 144 Special Libraries Notice ......................................................................... 1 68 DEPARTMENTS EDITORIALS Associations .............................. 1 72 Swampscott . Conference... 1 60 Events and Publications ... 1 70 Foreign Field .............?............ 1 69 CONVENTION Personal Notes ..................... 175 Annual Convention ............ 161 World of Business Print... 1 66 Croups ..................................... 1 65 Published Monthlv Except August and September by Special Libraries Ed~torialoffice, State Library, Providence, R. I. Publishing office, 958 University Ave., New York City. Treasurer's ofice, 195 Broadway, New York City. All payments should be made to Miss Gertrude D. Peterkin. 1 reasurer, C/O American Telephone & Telegraph Co.. New York City. Surered rn asand alala matter December 17. 1923 at the Port OElce. Sen Yort. S.P., under lha act of bf~rchS, 11119 AmeDIpas tor maPlna at ~~eclalraze of Doatage provided for In section 1108. Aat of, October 8. 1817. authorW Uaemher 14. 1OPa *slew 14.00 a year, Forelun $4.50; slnulc copies 50 cent# Special Libraries Vol. 16 May, 1925 No. 5 THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF FIRE INSURANCE By W. E. Mallalieu, General Manager, The National Board of Fire Underwriters N a leaflet recently issued by The Na- abandon the attempt to control rates and I tional Roard of Fire Underwriters ap- about ten years later all supervision over pears this statement: "Fire insurance is agent's commissions was relinquished. the 'backlog of business,' 'the balance- Thus the Board passed completely out of wheel' of commerce; it promotes thrift, the field of jurisdiction over such tech- safeguards industry, and protects cred- nical insurance matters, and since then its." That is the economic function of has grown notably as an institution of a fire insurance-principally stock fire in- public service character, its work bene- surance, for it furnishes cover for risks fiting the public as well as the companies of all kinds, anywhere-but these same which compose its membership. stock fire insurance organizations play an During the Great War, and for several additional part in serving the public, as months following the conclusion of the will be demonstrated. armistice, the National Board rendered It was realized some time ago that al- invaluable service to the Federal govern- though fire insurance profited by the ment in a number of departments, partic- ever-present likelihood of burning, the in- ularly in safeguarding cantonments, navy cineration of material wealth had reached yards, hospital bases, food depots and such proportions that it threatened eco- numerous other gears in the war ma- nomic disaster and that the business chine. The organization of the draft owed it to society to modify such a con- army necessitated the hasty erection of dition as far as it could possibly do so. large camps and depots at various points Therefore, by concerted movement they and because of the dire need for speed authorized The National Board of Fire the required structures had to be made Underwriters to formulate a campaign of wood and they presented a conflagra- along engineering and educational lines tion hazard of the first magnitude. that has developed steadily in scope and The services of most of the engineers intensity during recent years. of the Board of the regional organiza- Since the National Board was organ- tions of the fire insurance companies ized in 1866 to save the business ol fire were donated to worlc out plans for pro- underwriting from disruption due to the tecting these wooden cities from fire, and demoralization following the Civil War, they were highly successful. During the the organization has developed in a good period of occupancy, the per capita fire many directions unforeseen when it was loss of the cantonments averaged about created nearly sixty years ago. It first one-fifth of that cxperienced in civilian had undertaken to be the controlling cities. factor in fixing both rates and commis- Since the war, the Doard has resumed sions, and thus started out to be a fire energeticaly the interruptecl work of insurance trust; it was, in fact, the first making city surveys, the number of great American trust, antedating by some municipalities that have had their fire twenty years the period of combination hazard symptoms carefully diagnosed and centralization in indu'stry and now approximating three hundred and finance. forty. These surveys are made without The effort was disastrous, however, cost to the cities visited and cover all the and in 1876 it was definitely decided to known features of fire hazard, particu- SPECIAL LIBRARIES larly those that affect the probability of preme importance when a conflagration- conflagration. Among the matters ridden city calls upon a neighboring checked are those relating to general community for assistance. structural conditions, fire department The Committee on. Construction of operation and equipment, water supply Buildings operates along slightly differ- and its distribution, regulations concern- ent lines, concentrating upon structural ing building and the operation of hazard- features and promoting the use of a ous occupancies, wind velocities and top- standard building code. The latter de- ographical conditions. partment keeps in touch with progress in The engineers customarily work in the manufacture and use of fire-resistive crews of four, each man being a spe- materials as well as new methods, and cialist in his line; they make a thorough is considered the chief national force for inspection and require about a month to safer construction. It might be said that survey a city of one hundred thousand the operations of these two committees population. There can be no question have been at the foundation of a large regarding the value of this scientific part of the improvement in municipal service to the different communities, par- conditions as regards fire hazards. ticularly when it is recognized that the The Board's Actuarial Bureau Com- engineers' constructive suggestions for mittee analyzes and tabulates the major improvement make for the greater safety portion of the fire losses of the United of life and property. States and has become the national cen- In lessening the likelihood of great, ter of such statistics. Its records show sweeping fires that devastate large areas, just what hazards are causing the great- the fire insurance engineers render a est toll of destruction by firc and also service that cannot well be measured, for the extent to which different occupan- every serious conflagration creates suf- cies are suffering,