DUNEDIN OPINIONS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13374, 16 March 1909, Page 2

DUNEDIN OPINIONS.

(fcPECIAIi TO ''TUS rJIESS.") DUNEDIN, March 10. The remarks of the Government Fire Inspector (Mr Hugo) at Auckland last week on the- prevalence of fires in New Zealand centres, and the methods of insurance companies, do not appear to be taken very seriously by tho managers of insurance companies in Dunedin.

One insurance manager, on being spoken to, stated that in every years operations thore was a percentage ol fires concerning which there were grave suspicions of design rather than accident. He strongly advocated an otficiai enquiry being held into every tiro that occurred. This would act as a deterrent to dishonest people, of whom a!i insurance companies sooner or later were bound to have experience.

As to the accepisrice and amount of risks, one gentleman who was interviewed said that no matter what the care exercised, there was always a chanco of the dishonest man victimising tho companies. In the valuation of buildings the usual rules were ooserved, and in regard to over-valuation of stock the companies- generally only iusured to two-thirds of its value. It would be impossible to have so rigid an inspection as to detect every case in which the person insured allowed his s-tock to run down to a figure beiow the amount of the policy. Another difficulty in this matter was the constant fluctuation in the valuo of many classes of stocks.

Asked as to whether there was not some laxity in the method of issuing policies on "furniture in private houses, tha manager replied that this class ot business would not be worth taking if a i exact valuation of the furniture had to bo . made. The companies, knowing the size and nature <;f the house, haa .a good idea of the value it would require to furnish it. ft v. as surprising to soo what value in the shape ot cutlery, cut glass, etc.. often "ivent into a small place. In accepting this class of risk everything depended on the man with whom the companies were dealing. A client whom they knew well as a man of integrity might perhaps think the companies did not make --ufficient preliminary enquiries, but lie would nnd it quite otbenviiso if bo were not so favourably known.