CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7111, 25 April 1910, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

INSURANCE,OF BENTS. At the annual merino- of the. Property Insurance Company, held in London the other day, the chairman of the company, Lord Tentorden, gave some interesting particulars about insurance of rents. Tha system of indemnity against loss throueh the non-payment of rent and the vacancy of property received little attention in Great Britain until the Property Insurance! Company took it up and put it on a woxkablo basis. Many vears- ago there was in operation a company called , the Rent Guarantee Society, but no one could discover what amount of business it did and what was the precise character of the indemnity granted. Then there was a National Insurance Company, which among many other schemes of insurance proposed to insur9 against loss through non-tiayment of rent, but it seems to have stopped short at the intention of doing so. The system "has been worked with some success by a mutual society in Christiania, but in Great Britain the Property Insurance Company can claim all the credit duo to pioneers in - a new field of. enterprise. Its scheme for i insurance of rents includes compensation during vacancy equal to two-thirds of the net ratable value, at rates ranging from about £5 to £W per .£IOO of rent, according to the class of property insured. ■ 'WARE RUBBER! Tie financial ' editor of London "Truth" warns the public to be careful about what rubber companies they invest in. The industry, lie says, is in a remarkably sound position, ; but tlio market is being flooded with companies. "A gahg of needy Sharks who have been idle for so many years now realise that t/ho investing puMic has" caught the glamour , of rubber for investment <and speculation, and these gentry mean to fatten on the craze while it lasts. Some of the ruibber propositions shown to me this week are little short of . deliberate swindles to entrap the ignorant and -unwary. The present high price- of -rubber has no nrdra to do wrHh these planting propositions than the high price of oats. Investors who are buying such shares, whether at par or at a premium, are buying four, five and six years' misery, and when the estates begin to produce rubber (and this is a doubtful point, having regard to the ridiculous provision of working capital) the price of the commodity may bei unremunerartive. And then my 'Letter-box' will be crowded each week with wailings and complaints just as happened after the 'Jungle' collapse nine years ago. Slessieurs les assassins have begun; let my readers look to' it that they are. not among the victims." PETROLEUM. iAt a meeting of the directors of the Taranoki, Petroleum Company on Friday, says* "the "Taranaki Herald," an inquiry was received from an Australian firm for the crude petroleum. The firm in question is placing upon the Australian market a new system of gas generating suitable for lighting and power purposes, and crude petroleum is a most suitable oil for the purpose. The firm said: "Our demand for oils roris into thousands of tons per year. Subject to your oils being of a standard quality and price suitable, wo would be prepared to enter into a yearly contract of not lass than ten. thousand tons, • we to take delivery at your works or at any other port in Australasia. For test purposes we should be pleased to be supplied -with one t?OH of ite oil, for which!

we will post you cheque when notififyl as to cost. When writing please stav o what quantity over and iihovo thci toil' thousand tons you could supply should wo enter into a contract with your company."

SIGNS OF PREHISTORIC MAN. Hr OJomcnt Wragge is loth to giro up his ideas regarding tho markings on some locks near ivenkori as evidencing tho existence of prehistoric man in New Zealand, though Air A. Hamilton, curator of tho Dominion Museum, has thrown considerable doubt on tho inferences drawn by tho enthusiastic discoverer. "I do not care what people msay say, or how people may criticise,” says Mr Wragge. “The sonsitivo photographic plato cannot lie, and I do not think my greatest critic will suggest that I would fake a photo. Three plates (and AH Wraggo hold thorn up tor inspection) show nl 1 distinct triangle. onps, .and crosses, bo-> sides extraordinary formations, which no one can attribute to anything else but human agency. I can afford to treat tho criticism levelled athny deductions just as Professor Bicker-tan Jooks on criticism of his law of partial impact. I smilo at them all. Air Hamilton, of Wellington, is one of i those sceptical of my discovery. It jhas to ho roraomhored, however, thait) ho was noven near the spot where I located these particular rocks. ' His investigation was conducted in the vicinity of Ohaoawai, and that is distant eighteen miles in a straight lino, as the crow flies, from where I made my discovery.” After lie has viewed from Tasmania the eclipse of the sun, Air Wragge intends to pursue tho prehistoric man’s supposed relics in North Auckland. Ho lias, states the “Auckland Star” been informed of a certain, cave, suppolsed -to oolmtain evidences' of human remaine and hones bigger than the bones of the man of this day. “AIASLIN” BREAD. Among, many curious consequences of the general election, one comic result, according to (Jolonel Lockwood, is that rye bread, which played an important ptrt in the political controversies, has become a favourite viand of the House of Commons. It is also, probably ■ from cunosity, in frequonj demand at most Loudon restaurantsllyo, now seldom seen in England, was formerly grown a good deal in Lincolnshire, together -with wheat and barley. From the combined flour of those three cereals was made the “ maslin ” broad, much appreciated by Tennyson's ‘‘ Northern Fanner.” ' The wheat gave strength, tlio barley sweetness, and the rye the quality of keeping moist, for weeks. “ Alaslin,” which is variously spelt, seems obviously tho short for “ miscellaneous. ” WOMEN IN ADDTHODIST PULPITS. The committee on Afothodist law has just -had under its consideration 1 tlio question of women preachers, with special reference to the restrifcltliona imposed by‘ regulations passed, in 1803. By these regulations permission was given to women who were convinced that they had an extraordinary call from God to speak in public. Tho octamitteo could not see ■ its way to advise the repeal of this regulation, hut ultimately decided to recommend some revision of the wording, which will ensure greater liberty to women preachers. The conference will bo, advised to reaffirm the regulations of 1803, with certain modifications. Tho committee. were of opinion that tho preaching of women should bo restricted to neighbourhoods : where, there is no special opposition to such preaching. ■ V ~ : ; ‘ PARLIAMENTABY PAY. The payment of members of Parliament van;- -• in scale considerably in the different countries wliero tho'principle has' been Actopted. . Members of both Houses in the United States receive; 7000 dollars a .year and their travelling and are thus tlio best-paid representatives in the world. Next oomo the French Deputies and Synaterß,, who draw £6OO a year. Afembors of the Lower House in Austria! receive 16s 8d for each | day's attendance. ,In Holland the payment is fixed at £166 a year, and lin Bcflgium nit £l6O. Swedish menfhere of both diaimhors receive £66 for a session of four mqtiths, or, in thei cose of an extra session, 11s a day.’; Inf Italy, Spain, and Germany all that members receive for their services is a free pass over the railways. ,