FIRE BOARDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6, 7 January 1908, Page 5

FIRE BOARDS.

HEAVY EXPENSE TO INSURANCE COMPANIES. (By Telegraph.—Own correspondent) WELLINGTON", this day. A statement of the position in regard to fire boards was made by the Hon. Dr. Findlay, Attorney-General, to a "Post" reporter to-day. There were, he said, nineteen fire boards existing in New Zealand at the present time, and eight of them were now property constituted, I except for an insurance companies' representative vacancy. This is to be filled up by the insurance companies, and if they fail to do so the Government will make the appointment. In j eleven other boards insurance companies I had to elect their three representatives, I and there were five in which the local I authorities had to elect their representatives. There is to be an. appointment made by the Government in terms of the Act of fire inspector for the whole of New Zealand, but Dr. Findlay feels. I that to make an appointment now would not be fair to the boards. "I think it is only fair." he said, "to delay the appointment of an inspector until the I boards have met and had some opportunity of discussing rcatters." Dr. Findlay said there was no dcubt whatever that l the maintenance of fire boards was going to fall heavily on insurance companies. He had been told by a prominent representative of an insurance company that the total expense to the companies would probably be nearly £30,000 per annum. That estimate might possibly have been based upon the number of prospective boards as well as the present ones, but there was no doubt whatever that the Act meant heavy expense for insurance companies that they were not previously put to.