"A LEGISLATIVE ERROR."

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15238, 27 February 1913, Page 5

"A LEGISLATIVE ERROR."

FIRE BOARD MAINTENANCE.

CHANGE IN LAW FORECASTED.

Tin: financial basis of fire boards was discussed yesterday 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 Boards' Conference in Christchurch regarding the holding- of inquests upon the causes of fires.

Mr. Fisher said he hod recently obtained a fr.irlv lengthy report dealing with the subject of fire inquests. One objection to the propositi that inquiries should be made regarding the causes of all fires, was that the proceedings would be much more costly than delegates to the conference appeared to imagine. It would probably bo found that if the Government attempted to held inquiries regarding all fires, the annual expenditure would be about £7000. The most effective means of checking the losses fey fire was for the insurance companies to make better inspection of their risks, and to exercise greater care in undertaking business. A fair percentage of the fire loss was attributable to the keenness of insurance companies to obtain business, leading them to acoept risks which they would not take if greater car© was exercised. " Even if the cost of inquiries fell upon the lire boards, the position would hardly be satisfactory" said Mr. Fisher,'"as the fire boards are maintained by the people who take the precaution. to insure then> selves against fires. This appears to mo to be another legislative error of the pist, by which an absolutely false principle? has been raised. The care. I "a] and thrifty man contributes towards the upkeep of a fire brigade, which when occasion arises, is used to extinguish a fire in. the house of a man, who, since he has paid no insurance contributes nothing towards the maintenance of the fire brigade. The warns 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 bp altered. Nevertheless. a change in the financial system of fire boards will have to be made."