FIRE BOARD FINANCES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 49, 27 February 1913, Page 3

FIRE BOARD FINANCES

CHANGE IN SYSTEM NECESSARY. tXT tELEGßAPfl:— tftfiSjl ASSOCTATIOIT.) AUCKLAND, 26th February. The financial basis of Fire Boards was discussed to-day by the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister in charge, of the State Fire Insurance ' Office. In commenting on the opinions expressed at the Fire Board's Conference in Christcliurch regarding the holding ,of inquests upon the causes of fires, Mr. Fisher said he had recently obtained a, fairly lengthy report dealing with the subject of fire inquests. One objection to the proposal that enquiries should be made regarding the . causes of all fires was that the proceeding would be mucli more costly than the delegates to the conference- appeared .to imagine. It would probably be found that if ■ the Government was to attempt to hold enquiries regarding all firea the aitnual expenditure would .be about £7000. The most effective means of , checking .losses by fire was -for the insurance companies to make better inspection of their risks and' to exercise greater c*re in undertaking business. A fair percentage* of the fire loss was attributable to the keenness , of insurance companies to obtain business, leading them" to "accept risks which they would nob take if greater care was exercised. Even if the cost of the enquiries ' fell upon the, Fire Boards thd position would hardly be satisfactory,, as the Fire Boards are maintained by people who take the precaution to insure themselves against fires. ' This ' appears to be another legislative error' of the past, by which absolutely a. false principle has been raised. The careful and thrifty man contributes towards the upkeep of the fire brigade, which, when occasion arises, is used to extinguish a fire in the house of a man who, since ,he has paid no insurances, contributes nothing towards the maintenance of the fire brigade. The same principle has been embodied in the old-age pensions scheme. The existing law will not allow a pension to .be given to, a man who has been thrifty, but rewards it to the man who has been thriftless, and possibly indolent. These matters are not going to be altered in a week or a month, _ because the whole financial basis will have to be altered. Nevertheless, a change in the financial system of Fire Boards will have- to be made.