STATE FIRE INSURANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11712, 23 July 1901, Page 5

STATE FIRE INSURANCE.

At yesterday's meeting of the Council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce (Mr. D. R. Caldwell presiding), the question of State fire insurance was briefly discussed. Mr. B. Kent, chairman of the Finance Commit- 5 tee of the Chamber, to which committee the measure was referred for report, stated that owing to the many matters before them they had not so far been able to draw up their report, and suggested that the question should be held over for a future meeting,; to allow of an exhaustive report being prepared. Mr. F. G. Ewington thought the matter should be immediately' dealt with. There was no part of the recent legislation in the colony fraught with so much danger as the proposed State fire insurance, and every effort should be made to rouse the people to the true position, and give them a full knowledge of the mischievous nature of the Bill. It was a measure that must be looked upon with grave alarm, as it would not only injure private companies, but would put the public to great inconvenience and' loss. Mr. Hugh Campbell supported the proposal to defer discussion, pending the Finance Committee's report/After that committee had gon'j into the question they would then be in a better position to discuss the salient points of the measure, which he considered one of the • most scandalous ever brought under their notice. Mr. W. J. W. Pbilsou said that as far as part one of the Bill was concerned he could not see that the Government would be doing any more harm to other companies in starting fire insurance than would be the case of rrivate individuals starting a new company or companies. If the Government confined themselves to this, and went no further, he could not see that there was | anything to object to. The Chairman (Mr. Caldwell) said while the Bill might be looked upon as objectionable by some, there were, perhaps, others who would, in the main, be in sympathy with it; he referred to those who might consider the existing rates of the fire insurance companies too high. It would perhaps be rather unfair for the measure to be dealt with by a few who might be interested, while others not opposed to it had no chance of; expressing themselves. He thought .'he matter should be dealt with by a general meeting of the Chamber. : ; Mr. Ewington thought the larger the meeting the greater would be the condemnation of the Bill, a view in which he was supported by Mr. Kent. I It was then decided to defer consideration until after the report of the committee had been drawn i.p.