TERBURY NOT

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 13, 16 January 1905, Page 3

TERBURY NOT

! • (l:y Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHRISTOHURCH, this day. j FIRES IN THE COLONY. Mr W. W. Tanner, M.H.R.. who was j chairman of the Select Committee of j the House of Representatives set up to 'consider the State Fire Insurance Bill in 1902. says that a good deal of the evidence given before the committee went to show that the -moral hazard" in New Zealand was regarded as being considerably higher than in other countries. At rirst he felt inclined to re- j sent the imputation on the colony, but j a return prepared for the committee convinced him that there must be much truth in the statement. Tin? figures are j confirmed by the Christekur.eh repre- I sentative of an insurance company. j who says that in New Zealand there ii j a large proportion of fires of unknown I origin in the company's bookd. They j are marked "doubtful." He does not j think that many people deliberately | .set lire to their houses, but there are | eases where owners get into difficulties, I ! and knowing that a fire will bring in j ; a good sum of money take the risk. Several New Zealand towns have a very bad reputation in this respect, and I some companies have refused to take risks in them. Among American insurance men there is a saying that "fires 1 aio caused by friction: the friction of j a thousand dollars' policy against a 1 five hundred dollar building." The | table of losses published in the "Insurance and Banking Record." it is 3tated, 1 are misleading, as only a few companies in the colony supply information of their total losses by fire. TAYLOR TESTIMONIAL FUND. The secretary to the Taylor testimonial funds writes to the papers contradicting a" rumour that Mr T. E. Tayi lor's expenses in the recent Supreme I Court action are being defrayed by relaj tives of the late Lieut. Dillon. This ! rumour, he says, has apparently been circulated with the object of prvjudicI ing the success of the above fund, the whole of the expenses hitherto having been borne by Mr Taylor himself. THE SHRUBB-DUFFY TOUR. The special committee appointed by the Council of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association to make arrangements for visit to Christchurch of the champion athletes. A. H. Shrubb and A. P. Duffy, have drawn up a programme for the two days' meeting to be held at Lancaster Park on March 17. and Saturday, March 18. It includes usual New Zealand -championships events, the four cycling championships, and some handicap events. Reports received by the Council from the various centres show that all the best-known athletes in the colony are in training, and it is expected the meeting will be made more than usually interesting by the presence of two Australian champions. The secretary of the association has received from Shrubb a letter dated December 5. in which the writer says that he is very well and hopes to retain his form during "the voyage to the colony. He expresses great pleasure at the prospect of the trip.