VALUE OF LIFE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 9 April 1927, Page 5

VALUE OF LIFE.

AMERICAN ASSESSMENT

(UY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

AUCKLAND, April 9

Amusement was caused at the fitting or me Water Commission to-aay, when reference, was made by a witness to the method adopted in the United States oi assessing the value of human iue. Mr. A. J.. Parker, public analyst, stated that the financial aspect of an\ water supply was a large motor not fully realised in New Zealand, in many parts of the United States a monetary value was placed on the citizens, ana the responsibility of water boards was worked out on this basis. Their duty Was to supply pure water not likely to cause infection or death from dis-

“In a recent American publication they do attempt to put down the loss of human life in money/’ remarked the chairman, Mr A. M. Blair. “I see £3OO is the value of a child at five years of age. This increases to £ISOO between the ages of 25 to., 30, and decreases to £2OO between die ages of 65 and 70.”

Mr. Johnstone: “What is the value after 70 years? The chairman : “You are worth £ISOO now.”

Mr. Parker added that it was the duty of bodies controlling a water supply to see that the chance of infection was reduced. The monetary assessment of the value of life was therefore a good system, and one that could well he adopted. A water board or a council was not only faced with supplying water which would not cause fatal disease. but also other maladies involving medical expenses.