FIRE INSURANCE RATES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5459, 10 January 1896, Page 2

FIRE INSURANCE RATES.

MEETING'XT ■BA.jGIpBA. .A public -meeting, fcojdyqfled W * ne Mayor "was held at &ngioi^.Jast ; ilight to consider the question of^tjie^exfiessive fire insurance rates charged -in !th9 'borough. There "was a fair- 'attendance "business ■people and others. l!he , Ma^or- ,(Mr T. Keir), who took 'the, chaijr, exglauxed that the Borough Council had 'decided to hold the meeting, feeling that it.wpfl due to the burgesses that some steps should, be taken to' relieve them f rbm ,tiie .'"pjofi^wje insurance rates .the New Zea^nd 'lnsurance Association had seen fib ( |o" impose. The .rates were most unreasonable . seeipg that the borough possessed such an efficient brigade and a plant equal to anjf borough of its siie in the coldijy, . . . The .'Council had received circulars from'tlie Invercargill Mutual ' Insurance League, : which ',, showed clearly tHat thSre 'were" jtai grounds for dissatisfaction with the reo,ent action of the insurance .companies in' raisineHhe rates. He read several extracts from the circulars and then asked for motions. Mr G. F. Smith' expressed pleasure at the Council having seen fit to move in the matter, and proposed the followiiig motion : —"That this melting Of burgesses of Rangiora is •'of opinion $hafc the. fates of insurance now being, charged by the New Zealand Insurance Associatioti' are excessive." Mr J. Sansom seconded iihe. motion, and after Mr E. E. Good and' others had spoken in support it was unanimously carried. „ . '", Mr J. Ellis thgri moved— "That this meeting requests "the Borough ' Council to favourably coiisider , any. proposal- for the formation of any, company or. scheme 1 to insure prbperiy. at lo^er rotes jf&a those ' of tlie Associated Insurance 'Companies." ' Mr D. M'Kay seconded the motion, and it was carried unanimously., . It was proposed by Mr A. B. Blackett and seconded by Mr A. S. Clajrksoji-f-*' That the conference , of insurance companies shortly ' to '" be 'held at "VSTellihgton be informed that the insurers in the borough object to the high rates now being charged by the Association, and also to the distance between isolated buildings on which insurances are charged at the mimimum rate being increased from thirty feet to forty feet." In the discussion which ensued Mr C. I. Jennings said he was in a position to state on good authority . that the conference would consider the advisableness of making the table of rates now charged at Ashburton applicable to Eangiora and boroughs similarly provided with fire prevention appliances. He read the Ashburton scale in comparison with that at present in force in the borough, and although it showed a reduction of from Is to 5s per cent it was evidently far from finding favour with the meeting. ' The motion, on being put, was carried unanimously. ' Reference was made to the withdrawal of the Fire Insurance Associations' annual grant of £25 to the Fire Brigade; and it was resolved to ask the Association to reconsider its decision. ' After deciding to forward the various resolutions to the Insurance Association, the proceedings were closed with a vote .of thanks to the mayor.

Kauri Timber Company. — It is stated _ that this company has had a most prosperous year, and it appears to have entered upon the new year with growing business prospects. Mr J. D. Moore, travelling representative of the company, is henceforth to make his head-quarters in Christchurch, and will shortly remove from Wellington to this city. Both the colonial and export trade of the company is expanding, and the selection of this city for Mr Moore's head-quarters, in preference to Wellington, is evidence that the position of Christchurch for business purposes is at least equal to that of any other centre in the colony. "Mary, I thought I told you you couldn't have company in tho . kitchen." " This " is only me brother, mum." " Tour brother P H'm ! He doesn't resemble you very strongly." " No, mum. You see, mum, it's only two minutes since I promised to be his sisther, mum."