FIRES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1041, 6 September 1883, Page 4

FIRES.

The St. James's Gazette 'saysThe average Valuer Pf property annually destroyed by fire ranges from L 70,000,000 to L8p,000,000 sterlingrin Europe and Nortbi America, or three times the value bf all ships and cargoes lost at sea. This 'statement will probably, surprise .there is such a general feeling'of indifference on the subject of. fire that nobody thinks it worth while tQ study the statistics bearing on it, orlearn the lesson they would teach, to prevent fires, or even to chefck their increasing ratio, although mi^ < is taken to reduce risks at. sea j so tHat, while the number of shipwrecks is diminishing, that of fires is increasing. c < The. .public have a vague idea that insurance; companies are a safeguard. When people say that “the heavily,’? they overlook the fact that all loss falls ultima|s,y t pntthe. public and that the exon the companies has to be added to the loss by fire. If we take I the’ bdocipal l countries and examfjCSe’thelr fire returns, we find Us follow!;.:—United Kingdom—Premium to companies, 1,6,900,000 ; assurance rate per Lroo 4s 6d; loss, insured and uninsured,, ,£91100,000 ; losS -per ;in- . habitant, 5s ad. France—L3,77o,000, as, L 3,200,000, is pdj respectively? Germany— L 6,600,000, 4 s ad, pd’ .Russia —L900,0b6, 9s Bd, Lajc?ooo,ooo, ss, respectivelyjUnited States—Li 1,600,000, 18s, 1,23,000,000, 9s, respectively.; 550,060; is-'ad, L4,000,b00, iß®:ad,« respectively; Total—Premium to sured and uninsured, L 66,500,000. It has-been said'that insurance could be dobe4>etter-<>fiijd- cheaper by Governraeftt; !3 bUt ! Bavaria, Saxony and other counttiesifof Germany haVe painful recolleetions Pf the losses to the Treasury when the .Governments had a monopoly of insurance. ■ The annual losses in Great Britain are almost one per cent national* - earningsf-r Say threl of tl^e. whole populatidß. , iscertkih ihata large number gross: neglect, individuals; but also m ;> authorities;, The' London Corporation have for years turndd a* dedfyear to Captain Shiw’s city in ottMiieUer protection. The consequence is that we have to pay two or three times heavier in another way. The property insured in London last year paid no less than Li,250,000 in preiruumf.'i This is thirteen times Jhp strar ‘ahdually allowed for the fnaih-' tenance of Captain Shaw’s Fire Brigade; and it is manifest that it is a very false economy tp keep the Brigade allowance stfl- -•- V '