THE RAETIHI-PARAPARA ROAD.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10944, 9 May 1903, Page 4

THE RAETIHI-PARAPARA ROAD.

The lethaigy displayed by the Government for years past in the completion of the Raetihi-Parapara road has -had a twotold effect. , It has chilled the ardour ofthe Waiinarino settlers, wflo now ajpear to 1 be as apathetic as the . G overnment in the matter, while on the other hand it has had the opposite effect 'on the Wanganui Chamber of dbmmerce, the members of which body Jiavo now become desperate. Reference to the report published in another part of this issue of the discussion which took place at the meeting of the Chamber yesterday shows that it is sincerely, earnest over the matter, and theGovernment are to' be once more approached with a view to getting the main arterial thoroughfare completed. The figures quoted by Mr T. B. Williams are ample proof of the persistent neglect by the Government of the roads in this part of the district, and we would here like to point out that we have never Tiesitated to express our strong convictions of this and to urge on Ministers the necessity- for'fhc work, notwithstanding the ravings of some members of the Chamber to the contrary. There seems to be a strong feeling in the Chamber that the member for the adjoining district of Rangitikei is bringing influence to bear on the Government and doing all he can to prevent the completion of the road, and if this is so it should only tend to make the Wanganui Chamber put forth more strenuous efforts to make its representations heard and felt. We rather incline to, the opinion that, Mr Remington's persistent advocacy of the claims of his own district- has caused the impression above alluded to. We still .think that the Minister of Lands should be invited to visit the Waimariuo, and that the members for Wanganui and adjoining districts should be asked to cooperate with" the Chamber in bringing influence to bear on the Government to complete the Raetihi-Parapara road.

GOVERNMENT INSURANCE AND THE TEMPERANCE SECTION.

•Policyholders of the Government Insurance Department who are connected with the Temperance section are not a little surprised and dissatisfied at the result of the recent division of profits, which gives them, a bonus at the rate of 19 per cent., as against 20 per cent, allotted to policyholders in the General section. Those who are connected with the Temperance section concluded that because the average age at death of the total abstainer is higher than the habitually temperate person or careless or intemperate drinker, the share of the profits would be larger. This, supposition has, however, not worked out in fact. It has been the practice of the office for many years past to ascertain the profit which has accrued from favourable mortality in each of the two sections — General and Temperance — and to divide that profit exclusively among the policyholders of the separate sections from which it has arisen. At the first division of profits carried out on this principle in 1890, the two i sections' received equal-bo-nuses, in 1893 the Temperance policyholders took somewhat larger bonuses, in 1896 the General policyholders had a. slight advantage, in 1890 the two sectiona again phared equally, while on the present occasion Gerieral policyholders Teceive bonuses at the rate of 20s per cent., and Temperance policyholders at the rate of 19s per cent., • c'alcul ited upon tbe sum assured and all existing bonuses. The Government insurance Recorder cays: — It is Bomewhat difficult to give an explanation of these results which could be generally .understood, for the different circumstances of the two sections complicate the case in such a way as to make it impossible to be thoroughly fathomed by those whd have not carefully studied the > subject. It may be said, however, that it does not in the least follow that the vitality of the members composing the Temperance section is inferior to that of the members of the General section- As an illustration, it may be pointed out that if an office composed of life annuitants, insload of life assurants, were divided into abstaining and, non-abstaining policyholders, and' the former experienced a lower death-rate - than the - latter, - they^ would be certain to get loss profit, for the very reason that they lived 'longer than the others. Now, the Temperance section in this office contains a much larger proportion of endowment assurances than the General section, and less mortality profit accrues from whole life policies, of which the General section is more largely composed, from a similar cause to that which operates to make a loss in th,e case of the annuity office instanced above.^ The Temperance section is also very small and un-

progressive in regard to acquiring newmembers, and, the mortality of its members is therefore the more liable to fluctuations; a cause of irregularity which would not have existed if the section had boon bolter supported. The explanation of the Eccorder will afford poor solace to the policyholders in the Temperance section. '