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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3753, 26 July 1883, Page 2

Thelossol'the Auckland Union Sasli and Door Company's Avorks by lire once more reminds us of the fortunate immunity from conflagrations that avc haA-c enjoyed in Napier. Since the foundation of the toAvn the number of fires hero may be almost counted on tbe ten lingers of a man's hand. Amongst the causes operating in our favor in this respect is, of course, the comparative smallness of our population, but aa'O cannot certainly leave out of consideration tho general solvency and honesty of property oAvncrs, the absence of a criminal class in our midst, nor tho extreme caution that has alAvays characterised the operations of the insurance companies. There are thus no temptations "to realise" in times of depression, and any attempt to do so Avould of a certainty-be frustrated by the excellent organisation of our t-i'O fire brigades. It is strange then that witli such a retrospect the insurance companies doing business here arc dissatisfied. In the face of the business done hero for many years having been one almost of uninterrupted profit, they coinplain that competition has resulted in -- cutting," and that premiums arc ruinously low. But a comparison of tlic premiums charged here with those of other places w 11 shoAv that the fire rates paid in Napier are as high, and in many cases lugher, than m other 3 principal towns of the colony, and that in this respect at least the insurance companies have nothing to grumble at. NevertheleßS they do grumble, and it was

B criously mooted amongst them a short time ago to Avithdraw their subscription to tho fire brigade to make up for loav premiums ! Itis a curious circumstance that an insurance company regards a lire brigade, not so much as an organisation for the prevention of losses, but as one that by reducing risk decreases the profits from premiums. AYe do not knoAv Avhether this view is shared in by tho shareholders, but we should rather think it Avas not. There can be no doubt about this, that if Aye had no fire brigade premiums Avould be raised, for the risk Avould be vastly increased, and in the absence of a conflagration profits Avould be proportionately greater. This, hoAvever, is an exceedingly sballoAv Avay of looking at a business, and in the long run Aye fancy shareholders Avould discover that it paid better to prevent as far as possible all chance of any serious conflagration by seeing to the perfect organisation of the fire brigades. In oilier words, it would pay much better for tho insurance companies to double their subscriptions to the fire brigades rather than to Avithdraw their support.