STATE FIRE OFFICE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 633, 9 October 1909, Page 5

STATE FIRE OFFICE.

' LOSS VOU THE YEAR. ■ AIosS of " j£.'i7o7 Os. Od. is.shown.as-the. result of the year's operations of ;the State Fire Insurance' Office, of -which the annual .report tov.December., :31j 1908,, was. laid...before tho House 61 Kepresciitativcs yesterday. The. loss, explains ■ the, Deputy-General Manager (Mr. J. H.. Jerram), ii mainly due to the bush firos and the Cbristchurch conflagration ,in the early part of the year; The promiutn income for 1908.amounted to .625,657 lis.. 7d., as against £23,184 135.: /or 1907, . boihg an increaso .of •£3102 18s. 7d. .The inconio from interest was £251 2«; 4d„ being an increase of, £143 Bs. on that; 'of -.the previous, year. The claims, including those unsettled: at tho end .of the year, amounted to, .£18,903 19s, 3d.; showing an, increase of' .£6202 10s. Gd.. The necessary. proportion of, premiiiris reserved .as unearned has in. the. post been fixed :at .33 l-3rd per Cenl The deputy teneral . manager does, not consider this to be sufficient; and, in } accofdanco with the best ihsufrance practice, .the ptopot: tion has been increased to 40 - per cent. ' The reserve; for unearned, premiums now,'stands at .£10,663 oi. Bd. Tho expenses were oi. 3d., it against. .£8355 45.,'10d; 'for .1907, and include contributions td eighteen' Firo Hoards Under tho .Fire Brigades Act, 1908, ' amounting. to. £501 12s. Td„ which, is ~£278.'95; more; than the total amount contributed during 19071 to eight .Fire Boards. The remainder of tho preliminary cxpenses-viz„ £834 ss. 3d.—lids been written off.