CASUALTY INSURANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5634, 6 December 1879, Page 6

CASUALTY INSURANCE.

Of the many schomes that have met the requirement* of advanced civilization for the last 20 years, accident assurance has taken a very prominent placo. Statistical combinations have aided the inventive facilities of actuaries, aud we find that no commercial hazard or risk can exist but an insurance company, by mutual combination or proprietorship, is ready to cover such risk, and relieve the people engaged therein from responsibility. Thus, we have assurances agaiust life, fire, accident, marine, hailstorm, plate-glass ; fidelity guarantee, solvency guarantee, horse and cattle assurance, and tontines. Accident assurance is just being started in our oiidst, and the statistical returns from the Insurance Review and Banking Jtccord plainly tells us that the proportion of accidents in the Australian colonies, including New Zealaud, exceeds that of England and America, The figures are as follows : —ln England, 11 people out of every 100 die from accident. In the colonies the number is increased to 13. Doubtlessly in our case this is attributable to impenect modes of locomotion, unbridled rivers and creeks, our dangerous coast aLd stormy weather; as colouists, civilizing the primeval bush, the very nature of our avocation is surrounded by ordinary risk, and it is only wisdom that all risks should be covered by some organization to meet the contingency by a monetary payment for such injury received, for the thief Accident, without a momeut's warning and upon the evidence, will demand 13 out of every 100 of us—good, bad, and indifferent. Tho establishment, therefore, of an accident insurance for New Zealand is a step in the right direction from every point of view. Artemua Ward was once asked to speak at a public meeting in favour of accident insurance, when he said : " Ladies and Gentlemen, —I am asked to recommend to your notice the distinctive features aud superior claims of this accident insurance company. For seven years concurrently have I taken out a policy, vainly hoping to realise the object of the company by meeting with an accident, aud enjoying the novelty of being smashed up, carried about on a shutter, with tho luxury of bran new baudages, but this, ladies and gentlemen, has been denied me,' c., &c. Railway statistics in England show that of the millions carried the proportion of accidents is less whilst on the line than on any other portion of the earth's surface. Thus, while the aristocracy are reclining on their feather beds, with eiderdown quilts to cover them, there is more chance of them meeting with the | casualities that sometimes happen in such places, such as fire, &c. Further, the very baby in tho nurse's arms is more liable to accident than is a person travelling on the English railways. Our proportion of accidents in these colonies being in excess of other places it points at once to the utility of Accidence Assurance, and the value of the weekly compensation during disability to substitute some approved person in our place to conduct and protect our interests during our absence. The satisfaction that it gives the miud to know that the precautionary step has been taken, and that those who are near and dear to us would not suffer privations is worth many trifling sum Accident Assurance costs. >Y~. A. Thomson