The department consists of three companies and a force of 71 men. Samuel Abbott, Jr., was appointed superintendent in 1880 and continues at the head of the department. [See Cyclopedia for 1913-14 for history of the organization.]

The forty-fifth annual report of the department for the year ending December 31, 1918, gave the number of alarms as 5,433, of which 4,641 were for fires, and of these 1,575 occurred in brick and stone buildings, 1,297 in wooden buildings, and 1,716 outside. Of these fires, 2,634 were confined to the floors where they originated, 246 to the buildings where they originated; 36 extended to adjoining property, and 9 extended beyond adjoining property; originating in automobiles, 150; not originating in buildings, 1,566; not originating in, but involving buildings, 6. The total loss on buildings and contents, $2,827,612.34; total insurance involved, $35,793,481.90; and the total insurance loss was $2,648,196.29. The insurance loss on buildings was $1,234,906.19 and on contents, $1,413,290.10. The loss on buildings and contents, direct loss, was $2,767,637.54, and on buildings and contents, exposure losses, was $59,974.80. The total rent losses were $13,958.70. Some of the principal causes of fires, involving loss, were: matches, 514; smoking, 186; overheated stacks and chimneys, 57; hot ashes and coals, 33; gas and petroleum and its products, 86; open lights, 144; stoves, boilers, and pipes, 122; incendiary, 15; spontaneous combustion, 38; electric.ty, 46; explosions, 80; and there were also 264 fires of unknown origin.

The officers of the department elected at the annual meeting in March, 1919, are: President, F. A. Dewick; vice-president, Walter S. Gierarsch; secretary and treasurer, Charles W. Gooding; superintendent, Samuel Abbott.

BRITISH AMERICA ASSURANCE COMPANY of Toronto, Can., incorporated 1833. W. B. Meikle, president and general man-▾ ager; John Sime, assistant general manager.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN MARINE INSURANCE COMPANY (Limited), of Liverpool, Eng. W. L. H. Simpson, manager and attorney; John E. Hoffman, secretary, New York.

BROKER, TERM DEFINED. The insurance laws of a few states define who are brokers. Such laws are in force in Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington. [For full text of the laws enacted prior to 1914, see Cyclopedia for 1913-14. See also Cyclopedia for 1915, fire section.]

The laws in their terms are with few exceptions practically the same, and define a broker as: "Whoever for compensation acts or aids in any manner in negotiating contracts of insurance or reinsurance, or placing risks or effecting insurance or reinsurance for a person other than himself, and not being the appointed agent, or officer of the company in which such insurance or reinsurance is effected, shall be deemed an insurance broker."

The Kansas law, however, limits the definition to any one placing insurance in an unauthorized company; and the New York law defines a broker as any person, partnership, association, or corporation, who for money, commission, or anything of value, acts or aids in any manner on behalf of the insured " in negotiating or placing contracts of insurance, including surety bonds. The Virginia law defines a broker as any person who shall solicit for compensation any policy of insurance "either on account of any person desiring to effect such insurance or any insurance company, except the duly authorized agent (or a clerk actually employed in his office) of any insurance company licensed to do business in this state," and "any insurance agent (or a clerk actually employed in his office) who shall solicit, directly or indirectly, any fire, marine, or other insurance, either on account of any person desiring to effect any such insurance, or on account of any insurance company licensed to do business in this state, other than for the insurance company or companies for which he is the duly authorized agent."

The Washington law defines a broker as "any person who solicits insurance to be placed in an insurance company other than represented by him."

The South Carolina legislature in 1916 enacted a law regulating brokerage business and Section I of the act declares the term insurance broker as used in the act to be such person as shall be licensed by the insurance commissioner to represent citizens of this state for the placing of insurance to insurers licensed in this state or in any other state or country."

BUCKEYE NATIONAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY, Toledo, Ohio. Organized 1914; cash capital, $100,000. H. M. Barfield, president; Charles Feilbach, Sherman Bond and D. L. Durbin, vice-presidents; H. S. Bassett, secretary; Charles H. Harraden, managing underwriter; E. H. Norton, assistant secretary; J. M. Spencer, treasurer.

BUCKEYE UNION INSURANCE COMPANY, Lima, Ohio. Organized 1918; Elmer D. Webb, president; Ira E. Wagner, secretary. Automobile insurance.

BUCKS COUNTY CONTRIBUTIONSHIP, Morrisville, Pa., was organized in 1809 by the Quaker farmers of Bucks county, Pa., and is still doing business in a conservative way. It is a mutual company, insuring farm buildings principally, and its full name is "The Bucks County Contributionship for Insuring Houses and other Buildings from Loss by Fire." Its business is confined to Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The officers are: Thomas C. Knowles, president, and William Balderston, secretary.

BUFFALO INSURANCE COMPANY, Buffalo, N. Y. Organized 1867; capital, $400,000. John G. Wickser, president; Edwin B. Eggert, vice-president; Fred Greiner, second vice-president; Charles A. Georger, secretary; Louis W. Fisher and Geo. H. Hofheins, assist

ant secretaries.

C

CALEDONIAN-AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY of New York. Organized 1897; capital, $200,000. Charles H. Post, [ resident; R. C. Christopher, vice-president; Milward Prain, secretary; H. E. Franck, assistant secretary.

CALEDONIAN INSURANCE COMPANY of Edinburgh began business in United States in 1890, reinsuring the Anglo-Nevada. Charles H. Post, United States manager, New York, 50 Pine Street.

CALIFORNIA INSURANCE COMPANY, San Francisco, Cal. Re-organized 1905 (organized 1861); capital, $400,000. C. J. Holman, president; W. E. Dean, vice-president; George W. Brooks, secretary; Benton A. Sifford, assistant secretary.

CALIFORNIA STATE ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL FIRE INSURANCE AGENTS, was organized at a meeting held in Oakland in 1908, and I. H. Clay was elected president and Fred W. Le Ballister, secretary. The present officers, elected in May, 1919, are: President, Matt T. Mancha, San Francisco; vice-president, C. T. Buckman, Jr., second vice-president, Walter P. Casey; secretary and treasurer, G. R. Doolittle, Los Angeles.

CALVERT MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, Baltimore, Md. Organized 1917. John H. Richardson, president; Charles Goldsborough, vice-president and treasurer; Thomas C. Grove, secretary and manager.

CAMBRIDGE MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY, Andover, Mass. Incorporated 1833; began business 1834. Burton S. Flagg, president; Frederic G. Moore, secretary.

CAMDEN FIRE INSURANCE ASSOCIATION, Camden, N. J. Organized 1841; capital, $1,000,000. Edmund E. Read, Jr., president; J. Lynn Truscott, vice-president; Joseph K. Sharp, secretary; Millwood Truscott, assistant secretary; John F. Gilliams, assistant secretary.

CANCELLATION. The fire insurance policy provides for cancellation at any time by either the owner of the property or the company, by giving legal notice. If cancelled by the insured the premium is returned, less the short rate for the expired time. If cancellation is desired by the company the pro rata portion of the premium must be returned before cancellation is complete. Notice alone is not sufficient, and the notice must state unconditionally a specific time for cancellation. Cancellation may be affected by agreement between the parties and the right to notice, or return of the un

earned premium, waived, but generally notice must be given and tender of the unearned premium made in order to affect a legal cancellation. The following is the cancellation clause as contained in the New York standard fire insurance policy, which practically is in use throughout the whole country:

"This policy shall be cancelled at any time at the request of the insured; or by the company by giving five days' notice of such cancellation. If this policy shall be cancelled as hereinbefore provided, or become void or cease, the premium having been actually paid, the unearned portion shall be returned on surrender of this policy or last renewal, this company retaining the customary short rate; except that when this policy is cancelled by this company by giving notice it shall retain only the pro rata premium.'

CAPITAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY, Concord, N. H. Organized 1886; capital, $300,000. Charles L. Jackman, president; Edward G. Leach, vice-president; A. R. Kendall, secretary; Josiah E. Fernald, treasurer; Freeman T. Jackman, assistant secretary.

CAPITAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA, Sacramento, Cal. Organized 1912; capital, paid in, $225,000. H. C. Muddox, president; C. J. Ellis, vice-president; J. H. Heitman, second vice-president; J. F. Landers, secretary; P. Č. Cohn, treasurer.

CAPITAL, INCREASE OF, IN 1918. In fire insurance in 1918 the following companies increased their capital:

American Reinsurance, Huntington, Pa., capital to $500,000; Camden Fire, Camden, N. J., from $800,000 to $1,000,000; Knickerbocker Fire, New York, from $250,000 to $400,000; Palmetto Fire, Sumpter, S. C., from $100,000 to $200,000; Pioneer Fire, Chicago, Ill., from $100,000 to $200,000; Preferred Risk Fire, Topeka, Kan., from $200,000 to $500,000; Superior Fire, Pittsburgh, Pa., from $300,000 to $500,000; City of Pittsburgh Fire from $200,000 to $225,000; North Branch Fire, Sunbury, Pa., from $300,000 to $400,000; United States Lloyds, New York, incorporated with $400,000 capital; Atlantic Fire, Atlantic City, N. J., from $100,000 to $200,000.

CAROLINA INSURANCE COMPANY, Wilmington, N. C. Organized 1887; capital, $50,000. H. C. McQueen, president; R. A. Parsley, vice-president: M. S. Willard, secretary.

CENTRAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY, Baltimore, Md. Organized 1865; capital, $500,000. John P. Lauber, president; Charles H. Koppelman, vice-president; Charles H. Roloson, Jr., secretary.

CENTRAL MANUFACTURER'S MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, Van Wert, Ohio. Organized 1876. H. V. Olney, president; C. A. L. Purmort, secretary.

CENTRAL NATIONAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY, Des Moines, la. Organized 1916, began business 1917; capital paid in, $500,000. George J. Delmege, president; Homer Miller and F. C. Waterbury, vice-presidents; Theo F. Grefe, secretary; W. P. Habel assistant secretary; Simon Casady, treasurer.

CENTRAL STATES FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY, Wichita, Kansas. Organized 1915; capital, $100,000; H. C. Whalen, president; S. L. Nolan, vice-president; A. S. Buzzi, secretary; J. N. Richardson, treasurer; E. C. Kosmak, vice-president and managing underwriter.

CENTRAL TRACTION AND LIGHTING BUREAU, New York. Organized in 1909 by fire insurance companies, and its objects are the inspection and improvement of traction property and power plants. The officers, elected at the annual meeting in November, 1916, are: President, R. M. Bissell, Hartford Fire; vice-president, H. C. Eddy, Commercial Union, Chicago; treasurer, C. G. Smith, Great-American; secretary, W. A. Stoney, New York; western secretary, E. B. Hatch, Chicago; executive committee, C. A. Ludlum, New York; A. G. Dugan, Chicago; C. R. Street, Chicago; R. G. Potter, Syracuse, N. Y.; C. E. Sheldon, Rockford, Ill.; Louis Wiederhold, Jr., Philadelphia; A. M. Schoen, Atlanta, Ga.

CENTURY INSURANCE COMPANY, Ltd., Edinburgh, Scotland. Henry W. Brown & Co., Philadelphia, United States managers. United States branch, 80 Maiden Lane, New York.

CHICAGO BOARD OF UNDERWRITERS. The first board of underwriters of Chicago was organized in 1849. W. Dole, who represented a company now long defunct, the Columbus Insurance Company of Ohio, was the first president, and John C. Dodge was secretary. After this organization fell to pieces another board was formed in 1856, with the pioneer insurance man of Chicago, Gurden H, Hubbard of the Etna, as president, and J. Kearney Rodgers as secretary and surveyor. In 1861 this organization was duly incorporated by the legislature as the Chicago Board of Underwriters.

Following the great fire the board was reorganized February 22, 1872, with S. M. Moore as president, General A. C. Ducat, vicepresident; J. Goodwin, Jr., treasurer, and Alfred Wright, secretary. The career of the board was undisturbed until 1880, when, because of violent internal dissensions, a number of members withdrew, and, on January 27, started a rival organization, to which they gave the name of the Underwriters' Exchange. The first officers were Robert J. Smith, president; William E. Rollo, vice-president; and R. M. Trimingham, secretary. The two bodies continued their labors on parallel lines for five years, sometimes in harmony, but more often in hostility, until in 1885, after repeated efforts, a union of forces was effected. A new organization was created (the Chicago Fire Underwriters' Association), and into this the Exchange was merged. The board members also became members of the association, but the Board of Underwriters was continued. In January, 1906, the by-laws were amended and the membership greatly enlarged by the admission of the members of the Chicago Underwriters Association, which then ceased to exist. Officers were elected at the annual meeting in 1919, as follows: President, Oscar E. Aleshire; vicepresident, W. E. Higbee; secretary, R. N. Trimingham; treasurer, George S. Haskell; manager, H. H. Glidden.

CHICAGO FIRE INSURANCE PATROL. [See Patrol.]

CHICAGO UNDERWRITERS' ASSOCIATION. [See Chicago Board of Underwriters.]