MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD. POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 3,000 Copies Daily. FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 1905. FIRE INSURANCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8001, 13 January 1905, Page 4

MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD. POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 3,000 Copies Daily. FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 1905. FIRE INSURANCE.

The rumour that the State Fire Insurance' Department intends to accept business at rates which will ensure a reduction of ten per cent on the premiums enforced by private companies has led to representatives of the latter being interviewed at Christehurch in reference to the matter. The local head of one company said he was not perturbed by the statement regarding the 10 per cent, reduction. As far as that aspect of the case was concerned, some of the companies, if they chose to do so, could " cut" prices, and go a great deal lower than the Government office was ever likely to go. He had no doubt at all that the Department would soon be begging to be taken into the combination, as it must come into line with the companies, which worked on capital, not on borrowed money, and they were not called upon to pay interest to the English money-lender. It was further asserted that " the profits were*not large. They were really extremely small, but loomed large in the public eye on account of the enormous turnover. If the big English companies reduced their premiums all over the world by 5 per cent., their profits would be absolutely gone." The representative of another large insurance concern was also very pronounced in his views regarding the question of profits. He estimated that during 1904 the New Zealand insurance business had resulted in a net loss of not less than £100,000, stating that the business generally left a very trifling profit and would not stand a reduction of 10 per cent. Another manager estimated last year's net losses in New Zealand at over £50,000. He added that the newspapers and a portion of the public were under a misapprehension in regard to the profits. They were often calculated on a percentage of the capital, while the percentage ought to be on the premiums. The basis of calculation made all the difference, and it was quite out of the question to suppose that the companies in the colony would stand a reduction of 10 per cent. It was also urged by one manager that a scramble for insurance business would ultimately prove a serious blow to the community, as the big English companies which take covers or reinsurance, would retire from the field.

Mr J. E. G. Wilkinson, who is in charge of the Christchureh branch of the State Fire Insurance Department, made an effective reply to the arguments used

by the.private companies, and gave the latter away completely on the question of profits. He stated that it was absurdto suggest that the Department would soon be " begging to be brought into;line with the other companies," and characterised the assertion that the proprietary companies worked upon capital and not on borrowed money, and that they were, therefore, not called upon to pay interest to the English money-lenders, as a ridiculous argument, brought up as a last resource to try and injure the Government Department. If the companies had not to pay interest to the British money-lenders they had to pay dividends to their shareholders, and the shareholders would express their opinion of the management in very emphatic terms if they did not earn something more than the 4 per centthe Government had to pay, after providing for the expenses of management. The National, he said, had, paid a dividend of 15 per cent., the New Zealand office had paid 15 per cent., the Standard 10 per cent., and the South British 30 per cent. Last year had been a particularly bad year in New Zealand for the insurance business, one of the worst, indeed, that had ever been experienced, and it was not fair to take it as a criterion. The Government had nothing to fear from either facts or figures, if they were quoted over a period of years, which was the only method of giving them any actual value. With regard to a suggestion that a cutting of rates by the Government might induce the large English companies to refuse to take covers, this, Mr Wilkinson said, was the idlest of threats. There were plenty of foreign companies prepared to step in and take over the re-insurances, if the English companies aid not want them; and the fact of there being a State guarantee at the back of the Government's business made it certain that the new Department would have no difficulty in covering whatever risks it desired to. The proprietary companies were at present bound to a. scale, and the suggestion that the establishment of a State Department would mean a reduction of the protection accorded to the public was not arguable.

With regard to figures quoted by local companies, Mr Wilkinson stated that he was not prepared to criticise them in detail, but he pointed out that there was a great deal of divergence of opinion upon the subject, and if the returns were really as bad as was made out, it was the obvious duty of the companies to retire from a business that was absolutely costing them money to run, on their own showing, and leave the field clear for the State to make an exhibition of itself, and to lose what money it liked in the interest of the people. If the South British Company had only earned a profit of M 4s per cent, on its fire business during twelve years, it was obviously its duty to clear out, and give its shareholders the extra benefit of the splendid business elsewhere which- enabled it to pay 30 per cent, last year. That the companies are not really in earnest in thenrepresentations was pointed to by the fact • that, in giving evidence before the Select Committee set up to consider the State Fire Insurance Bill, in 1902, the representative of the Liverpool and London and Globe Company had said that he sometimes wished "that the Government would take up the business of fire insurance, and relieve the constant strain of fire claims." This comptny now had a chance of retiring upon the terms it wished; but, along with the other companies, it had fought so strenuously against the introduction of State fire insurance, as to suggest that the gloomy pictures dr»wn by the companies were drawn with the intention of discrediting the Government. The cutting of rates was not feared by the Department, because if the companies started a war of rates, the State Department would probably stand on one side, and jast allow them to fight out thdr war upon their own terms, being satisfied that if the rates were brought down sufficiently, the object of the Department would be served. The statement that there would be any delay in the settlement of claims was the purest assumption, for it was the intention of the Department to run its businoss upon approved commercial lines. According to the Wellington head of a leading proprietary company, some action will be taken to meet competition from the State Fire Insurance Department, and the companies will, at an early date, meet to face the situation. It remains to be seen what will be done lin the matter, but as the statement has been made " that if by any chance the Department has an exceptionally good year and makes a profit, it will probably lead to the State entering the fire insurance business in other countries, and threatening the companies everywhere," there is some ground for believing that " cutting " will be resorted to.

Captain Edwin telegraphed to-day: Moderate to strong westerly winds; glass rise slowly.

The ratepayers of the Kairanga County Council are reminded of the poll tomorrow on the unimproved value rating question.

Advertise just as a farmer plants corn, not a big sackful at one time in one place, and then, stop, but a few grains at a place in regular order and in regular time. Keep it up week after week, month after month, and success will surely come by and bye.

An irate subscriber complains that a wandering cow swallowed his copy of the Staxdakd last evening. He says the " coo" is full of information of which he has been unfairly deprived, but he hopes it will result in some benefit to the owner of the animal. , :

Mr George Darrell's Dramatic Company will give performances in Palmernext Friday and Saturday nights. Mr McMahon is ahead of the company.

Building sections, says the Star, are in steady demand in Feilding.: One section, containing one acre and aquarter, was disposed of a few days ago for i'soo.

Miss Ivey, who conducted cookeryclasses in Palmerston last year, has been appointed teacher of cookery under the Hawke's Bay Education Board at a salary of j£lso per annum.

The T. E; Taylor testimonial is not doing so well as was expected. The crowd who cheered, etc., on the night of the verdict, aren't good at parting when it comes to the pinch.—Spectator.

In the course of a few days, .Mr E. Larcornb, on behalf of the Acclimatisation Society, will liberate a dozen English Mallard ducks, which have been reared at Master ton, on the Hokowhitu and Awapuni lagoons.

At the meeting of the Orange Lodge last night three- new members were initiated and two proposed. Tenders were accepted for erecting an up-to-date cottage and for alterations to the lodgeroom. Bro. Scott, from Dunedin, was a visitor. : ■•-'

Sir Jbseph Ward informed a deputation at New Plymouth that the new Post-office for that town is to be gone on with without delay. The public of Palmerston are anxious to know what has become of the tenders which were sent in for the new Post-office in this town;

At the S.M. Court this morning, before Messrs Edwards and Aisher, J.'sP., George Betty, charged with drunkenness, was convicted and discharged. Two boys, named George and John Mouldey, aged 10 and 8 years, charged with wandering at large and sleeping in the open air, were remanded till to-morrow.

At a meeting of the College' Streefi School last night the names of C. G. Tester, Misses E. N. Bryant, H. Yortt and A. McEwen were received from the Board as applicants for the vacant fourth assistantship at the school. -Miss McEwen was appointed. Messrs J. Boss, A. Fraser, A. Smith andH. Mclntyre wrote announcing their candidature for the vacancy oh the Board. The members of the committee present were Eev. I. Jolly (chairman), Messrs Carville, Goodger, Pratt, T. Hall, F. Hall and Hansen.'_

"It's good to be a Chinaman sometimes, after all!"; was a remark overheard at the Greymouth Magistrate's Court the other day after the Magistrate had convicted and discharged a Chinaman charged with a breach of the borough bye-laws in riding a bicycle between sunset and sunrise without a light. A week before the Magistrate fined several Europeans 10s and 7s costs for the same offence. The reason why the magistrate let the Chinamen off was because he did not know the law." "But," added the magistrate, " you musn't do it again, and should warn your countrymen."

Yesterday afternoon Mr W. Gv Pearce, of Colyton, and a member of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, on behalf of Colyton residents, presented Miss K. Campion, who recently joined the nursing staff of the hospital, with » very handsome lady's dressing case. Accompanying the gift was a letter expressing in felicitous terms the esteem in which Miss Campion is held by Colyton residents—the lady having'held a position on the teaching staff of the school in that district prior to her join-, ing the hospital—and expressing the appreciation of the members of the school and hall committees and Colyton residents in regard to her valuable services in connection with concerts. The gift was suitably acknowledged by Miss Campion.

The high esteem in which the Key. I. Jolly is held by his congregation found pleasing expression on Wednesday night, when at the close of the weekly service he was presented with a pulpit gown by the ladies of St. Andrew's Church. Mr E. Gardner, on behalf of the donors, made a short speech in which he voiced their appreciation of Mr. Jolly's efforts, and the gown was subsequently presenSS? ?W n by MrsAstbuVf sen?., the eldest lady member of the congregation. The gown was accompanied by the following letter:-« The ladies of St. Andrew's Church have much pleasure in presenting you with a pulpit gown and we hope you will long be sparfaTo continue your Ministry amongst us » The signatures of 80 ladies were attached

fj hu Cm"°m'°le sayß the prices realised and Co. s sale at Wanganui on Wedn Pß day constitute a record for many ye2 s past, and may fair ly be r J£g e f^ phenomenal. As ; a matte? of fact several old farmers present were of °P™°* that they were the highesTpricef Slplsii

S a tld One candidate' wal moated and six proposed for member! funds now amount to over Alol ft which over £1700 is out in mo ~tS 2 carried out Mft£ iw^d^idef aaassßrigggg:. absence from the colony. lleiblakc s

Mr Herbert Eobert Seddon has been appointed a cadet in the Department of Agriculture.

A " Gazette Extraordinary," issued 'last night, further prorogues Parliamentuntil Thursday, March 9th.

Mr L. Simmons, J.P., toot his seat on the judicial bench for the first time today.

Mr Seddon was in bad health while on the West Coast last week. He complained of feeling unwell for several days.

A Wellington suburban butcher is likely to be prosecuted for throwing a ■knife at a valuable, pedigree greyhound, when caught in the act of stealing meat. The animal was fatally injured.

A resident of Te Ore Ore has an exceedingly profitable lot of ducks. They number nine.in all, and up to Christmas ;had laid over nine hundred eggs for the They are still laying.

Mr W. 3?. Massey, leader of the Opposition (says the Ofcago Daily Times), will visit the South about Easter time, and address public meetings on political matters in Dunedin and one of the inland towns. '

The borough of Timaru is apparently ;■•» very desirable place in which to live, '-as during the month of December not a -single borough resident died. The -registrar says thi'sts the first time within his recollection that such a state of . affairs has existed.

It is probable that a Bill to amend the 'Slaughtering and Inspection Act, 1900, 'will be introduced by the Minister for Agriculture next session, with the object of giving the Department more complete power than it possesses at present to -compel the Wellington City Council to vprovide abattoirs for the city.

. The train from Eotorua to Auckland on Thursaay night, states the Auckland Star, encountered a mob of cattle in a narrow cutting between Paerata and Bunciman, and killed two. A heifer was first struck by the cow-catcher, .which, threw it clear of the line with a broken leg. Then a cow was struck, and climbed up the front of the engine till the backing of the train caused her to slip down again. The cattle were killed with a hatchet, and the train proceeded some fifteen minutes late to Auckland.

I£ is as well to point out that the ■"spun, yarn" referred to in the report of the Chief Health Inspector to the Borough Council in connection with the ■sewerage works is not New Zealand flax, but Manilla hemp, treated with Arch•angel tar. As to its lasting properties, experts consider that it is more likely to last eighteen years than eighteen months. An instance occurred lately of yam being taken up after being in position for thirieen years, and it was practically as good as on the day it was placed in. the sewer pipes.

A young man named O'Grady met with an accident at Mr Dahl's factory in Church-street this morning. The power for the machinery is supplied by a windmill, and while engaged in putting on the belt, O'Grady got his arm entangled in ,some cogs. He wasbeing drawn further into the cogwheels when his predicament was noticed by Mr P. Milverton, who rushed in and pulled O'Grady free from the wheels. The latter's arm -was •badly lacerated and cut, but not broken. He was attended by Dr Macintire and removed to his home on Foxton Line.

At a meeting of the Wairau Hospital Board on Monday a member stated that the allegation that the Blenheim hospital was uninhabitable because of the bugs was false. He had been there several •times, and had neither seen one nor hoard anycomplaint from tho patients. He also denied that the Beard was responsible for tho present position regarding the staff. Most of the members, he said, •spent the best of twelve months in trying to get the doctors to work amicably, and in warding off those who had done everything in their power to bring the doctors to loggerheads. They, and not the Board, "had brought the impasse on themselves. '.The appointment of a medical officer is to be decided to-morrow afternoon.

Delegates to the Norfh Island Ponliry Association met in Wellington on Wednesday night. Present—Mr Georgo Finn (president), Mr W. B. vteKgrz-e (Taranaki), Mr J. Jarvia (ttian>»watu), Mr Biggie {Wang*nui\ Mr B. E- Bannister (Hawera), Mr Laney (Feilfiisg), Mr Leightcra (Waik&to). Mr Greunside (Wellington), and MeDovey (Auckland). Correspondence on various ni.u;.er:j ?vaa dealt with, including the approval of judges eppointe&'.by the various societies. The tre&Burer presented a favourable financial report. It was resolved that tho aefooiation approach the Minister of BbUwrjs wish a view to securing a concession to delegates when attending meetings of the association. Tho next meeting of the association was fixed for about tho middle of March.

"With complaints coming in this year of the disastrous effects made by disease oh the potato crops of the North Island, it is refreshing tolearn that Messrs Slack JBroß. have just received a picked shipment of seed potatoes indented for them -by Messrs Barraud & Abraham, Ltd. The shipment comprises the latest varieties raised by the famous Finlay, of Auchterrnuchty, and even includes that marvellous and record-price-breaker the "El Dorado," tubers of which have recently fetched 10s an oz, a single pound realizing as much as JE2SO. The names of the several varieties will speak ■ior themselves to all those at all interested or acquainted with the industry. There are Evergood, Empress Queen, Goodfellow and Ro.yal Kidney, and as Jast season Messrs Slackßros. imported the famous Northern Star, with Cole's Favourite, Early Market Favourite and King Edward VII, their position is assured and they must reap the success their well timed enterprise deserves. The advantages will also be for growers in this colony, as all the potatoes named have taken first place or have been runners up in the exhaustive field trials made inthe Old Country. Messrs Slackßros., by their action, will improve the quality of potato crops and when placed on the market, buyers will know that thej' are . securing seed absolutely true to name. Second-hand cycles taken in exchange ; liberal allowances made. — < Clarkson's.* See our window of Holland and crash • dresses pieces at 3s lid at our sale of •surplus summer stock, commancing tomorrow at Tho. Bon Marche. - (Advt.). Ask for Puponga coal. Id inake3 tho best fire, no soot and little cleaning in ■.the grate or. range. First clas3 for steaming purposes.* ' '

On page 2: Beport of Pahiatua Races by our special reporter. .'On page 3: Bowling, telegrams. On page 6: Cables, telegrams. On page 7: Commercial, correspondence.

Messrs J. J. Casey, W. A. Sowman, and "A. S. Palmer (poultry), W. Eraser (pigeons), and R. W. Thompson (canaries) have been appointed judges for the whiter show to be held at Palmerston North in June next.

The Advocate mentions that some fairly good tallies are being put up in Rangiiikei shearing sheds.. One man in Mr W, T. shod put. through 218 in ft day of 9| hours, while a mate did 214 in the earns timo, -

Christchurch Spectator learns on good authority that after the close of the recent trial instructions were given te Captain Seddon's solicitors to lose no time in applying for 'a new trial and a change of venue, and that ho expense.was to be spared in getting up the case. Up to the present, it is matter of common report Mr Taylor's expenses are between £800 and £500. No statement has been made as to Captain Seddon's costs.

Mrs Sarah Tohill, the wife of a Ravenabouraa railway platelayer, whodied on Tuesday afternoon in a railway carriage while on ber way to Dunodin, though only 45 years of ago, whs tho mother of JS children, tbs" youngest of whom is three months old. Tfcie deoeaued l*dy hud been medieaily attended lately for short seas of braath, and in is aaticipated that her death was duo to exertion consequent on her hurry to catch the traia at Ravensbourne.

Splendid value at Payne's for boots and shoes for the holiday.—Advt.