GOVERNMENT INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 475, 11 February 1881, Page 2

GOVERNMENT INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.

The annual report of .Mr Luekie, Government Insurance Commissioner, was published in the Gazelle last week. From it we iiiul that, alihoiiph the past financial ycir has been marked hy commercial depression in the Colmiv, the new Inisitiess of the; department lias continue.! to expand U-yond expectation, .he assurance-; completed in that time li ivi/ig ifuchi'd an anio.'itit greater than (hat effected in any former year. Now proposals wviv. received hy the department to the mn>iher of 3033, lor a total sum of £ I 037.252. Of tiiesci proposals, 759 were either declined or otheiwise i'nilel of completion. The others, ninnherinir 2274. heroine policies assuring £725,254 and yielded n new premiinn income of £23,210 17s 81. Tli' se figures *liow nn increase of 3G5 pr. poulti receive*!, and of 202 policies issued, as compared with those received and i sued in the mimediately preceding year.

'. h niimlier of deatlis which occurred aim H persons fissured during ilie veai w,is u7, representing 78 policies, assifring tin sinri of £32,0U0. '1 he death rate is .still, as on former occasions, considerably below the mortality exportation on which (lie tables are based. In the report issued last year, refcrenco was made to 1 lie number of violent and accidental deaths which were included in the claims for that year. A simi'ar precentago of accidents distinguishes the experienced mortality for the period under notice ; 10 on! of the 07 deaths announced being accidental, and 2 others resulting from suicide. As usual, the chief cause of these accidents was drowning : 8 out of the Iβ persons referred to having been accidentally drowned. The number of policies of all kiiHs discontinued during .the year was 881, of which 850 were- assurance policies. The total sum thus represented was £294,7(5(5 4s. tli« annual premiums on which amounted to £9121 lGs 2«1. Since thi establishment of the department in 1870 it has issued 10,170 policies, a»siiring %£5.259,029. By lapse, sunender.or death of the assured, ;S4G;J of these have ben discontinued, leaving at the end of the year J. 1,707 existing policies, representing an assured stun of £4,175,81)0. The usual accounts presented with the report slmw the; year's income from all sources (including Gα KM in tlie [ndiistrial Branch) to he £14u\-!52 lls }\d, being an increase as compared wiili the previoin year of 13,371) lGs sd. The amount of the accumulated fund of the department fit fho end of the year (including £722 Ms Od standing at the credit of (ho Tμliusti'i.'il Branch; was £'-((i0,068 lls (>d, siiowing an additional accumulation during the year of £87.404 17s Id. The investigation into the iiuantia! condition of the department, and the periodical valuation with n. view to n declaration and division of surplus profits, as provided by the Act of Parliament, arc now in 1 progress ; and (wo eminent London ac- | diaries (.Messrs 15.-ii!cy and li<:rdy) have | been appointed by tin: (loveri'nr to m;ike ! a'i independent, vnln.-uion. and (o rc]i.:!f (heir opiiiio!) a« to iht- surplus pr. iils mid tl'.e amount i'or division among policy \ holders,