INSURANCE RATES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1415, 16 April 1912, Page 5

INSURANCE RATES.

THE POSITION OF WELLINGTON. DISCUSSED BY CHAMBER OF COMMEKCU. At yesterday's meeting of the council of tho Wellington Clinmlicr of Commerce Mr. Thos. Ballinger moved:— "That the rates of insurance in Wellington, as compared with those in Dimedin, Christchurch, and Auckland, bo taken into consideration by this Chamber." "I consider!l can make out a good case," snid Mr. Bellinger, in speaking to his motion, "showing that Wellington is very unfairly treated by the underwriters, as compared with the cities of Auckland, Cliristclmrch, and Dunedin. I should have, liked to have been able to give the full fire losses of the city of Wellington, but 1 havo been informed that the record kept by tho Wellington underwriters is for tho whole province, and not for the city, but if X am misinformed I presume the underwriters will be pleased to give tho .particulars. The following figures are taken from the inspector's repart on tho lire brigades of the Dominion for tho years 1909, 1910, 1911, which, of course, only (leal with fire board districts. .Summary of fire losses for tho three years the lire boards have been in existence :— Auck- Christ- Dunland, church, edin. £ £ £ 1309, insured ... 12,157 7,681 5,595 1910, insured ... 31,618 20,255 14,256 1911, insured ... 6,670 11,201 21,283 Total losses for three years .£50,475 £39,310 £14,131 Average per annum ....... £16,825 £13,113 £11,711 1909, uninsured 523 5.01S Mil 1910, uninsured 4,938 3,231 1,038 1911, uninsured 312 1,517 6,704 Total loss for three years... £5,772 £9,766 £8,701 Average per annum . ... £1,924 £3,255 £2,507 Grand total £56,247 £49,106 £52,835 Average total loss per annum ...... £18,794 £16,369 £17,612 The only Wellington figures I can procure- are of the year 1005-6, which compare, favourably with those of the thrco other cities. Wei- Auck- Christ- Dunlington. land, church. tdin. 1905-6. (Averageover 3 years). Insured, City ... 8,708 - - — Insured, Melrose 2,480 — — — £11,278 £16,825 £13,113 £11,711 Uninsured City ... 1,165 — — — Uninsured ilelrose .560, — — — £1,725 £1,924 £3,255 £2,567 Totalloss ... £13,003 £18,749 £16,368 £17,278 "Taking the average for two years, 191011, I find that Wellington Brigade has a total strength of 143; Auckland, 55; Christchurch, 12J; and Dunedin, 50; which shows that those three cities havo a combined strength of only 147}, as compared to Wellington's 143 men. The cost of the Wellington Brigade is i.ll borne by the ratepayers, and the average cost for the two years is £6,629 10s., as compared with Auckland £7,365. Christchurch £7,198, and Dunedin. £6000, but the cost of the-rate-payers in Auckland is £3582 10s., Christchiirch £3499, Dunedin £2900, the under-, writers paying a similar amount in each of these districts, am tho Government pays £200 for each of these threo cities, but neither the Government nor the underwriters pay a single penny to Wellington for the upkeep of the brigade.' A considerable amount of non-recurring capital expenditure is included in the cost of Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Tho Wellington Brigade is second to none; tho plant and water supply is second to none. Wellington has four residential fire, stations and six non-residential, a total of ten, as compared with Auckland three residential, Christchurch four residential and Dunedin two residential and one non-resi-dential stations. All these three cities combined havo ten as compared with Wellington's ten stations. The Wellington plant exceeds any of the oth?r three cities. The steam and motor pumping plants equal 2000 gallons per minute; Auckland, 1250 gallons per minute; Christchurch, 1060 gallons per minute; and Dunedin has only one 150 gallons manual engine. Welington has 20,256 feet of fire hose; Auckland, 6700 feet of fire hose; Christchurch, 11,600 feet of fire hose; Dunedin, 10,000 eet of fire hose. The water pressure in Wellington equals 120-1501b. ; Auckland, 10-1301b.; Christchurch, 109-lOolb.; Dunedin, 150-1901b. These pressures are, of course, on the lowlevels, but in addition Wellington has five service reservoirs, which -hold 1,530,000 gallons, to-which the water is pumped, the height above sea level being respectively 545 ft., 608 ft., 678 ft, 732 ft., and 790 ft. In further addition Wellington has n'vo storage tanks of 50,000 gallons each, which are fed by gravitation. Tho total capacity of all supplies is now 230,750,000 gallons, and there is under construction abovo Isairn Street a distributing reservoir to hold a further 2,000,000 gallons. I regret that I have not been ab!o to get the particulars of the water supplies of the other three cities, but I doubt if, whon they are all added together, they would exceed Wellington. Wellington has a very much longer water frontage to the harbour than Auckland and Dunedin, which is available in case of accident to the water main. "I find that Wellington, notwithstanding all these advantages, is treated by the New Zealand underwriters most 'unfairly. Take, for instance, the fire area known as "A." In Wellington this is a very small portion of our city, and takes in the wharves and buildings belonging to the Harbour Board and a few blocks from Jervois Quay to one side of Willis Street, and ono side of Mercer and along Victoria Street, as far as the tramway powerhouse, and four blocks on Jervois Quay on north side of.Queen's Wharf, measuring, roughly, 500 square chains. While Auckland, which has not such a good water frontage, has, ronghly, 17,850 square , chains in their fire area "A," and it takes in all the hilly portions of the city. Dunedin has about 1100 square chains, while Christchureli has about 19,800 square chains in their fire area "B," which is a rate higher than "A." I presume this was rated "B," as until 1910 they had no high pressure water supply, but now this is available, I presume this will be changed to "A" rate. Allowing ten chains to the acre, Wellington's iire area "A" is equal to 50 ncres. Auckland's fire area "A" is equal to 1785 acres, Duncdin's fire area "A" in equal to 110 acres Christchiirch's fire area "B" is equal to 1980 acre?. Tho city of Auckland, I find, only contains 1786 acres, which menus that the whole city is in fire area'"A." and,, therefore, secures the lowest rating, and we all know that Auckland is a very hilly citv, and, therefore, very much more difficult for firo-fiehfinfr. "In the TTire Inspector's renort of 1909, refernni '.o water reMmlntinn and pro.s-. sum. Atirklnnd. ho states, 'the pressure nn the low Ipv>'.=, !Wb. normal, with an to 1301b. at thron months' nn. t; M\ is a fair working pressure. On tho iii'rh levels a pre?sur» of 101b. normal, '.villi nn increase to 3511)., is very poor, nnd in casi> of a fire of any magnitude wniil-1 bo nf very little service indeed.' "Clir'sfelmr/Oi: The pnw-pi! new reHrnlatfnn us I"' , ' <>»' '" .the I'lan is well ilosirrnnd, and the adoption of hydrants with 3-'»ch wnterwnvs will prove of very irrent advnnfw fo the briende in their work. From a fire point of view, the t-Wknoss in Ilio now wnfer supply scheme iq the avfl'l.iblp working pressure. With the bend 2-10 fee , filuivo datum, tlit stntic i nressnre will bo 1M11). Deducting the ] los* due to friction, draw o(T, etc., tho ] available pressure will be approximately ' about 9011). Though this will prove i amnio in a number of cases, it is not a l sufficient pressure for (ire-sxtincliuu pur- c po=<";.' " "lluncdin: 'The provision for water ] siorase and the static pressure available .< for fire purposes r,ro excellent; but the i reticulation is fnultv, and leims very ] much to be desired, due in the first pl.irp ] i-o the small 'diameter of (ho pipps laid I down, and in the second place to the j greai amount of corrosion apparently s taking place, .Whilst in Duaedin I yaa. J

shown a piece of a H-incU pipo Hint lin<l jiift l)Oi'ii taken up, in which not more iliau out- inch of clear waterway remained. Under no eirciimMnnces should pipes as Miiiill as ;i-inch in diameter lie employed, that is if it is to lie iim'<l for /ire-evtim:ti<m niir|io.«e>. This from s>n rcnnomii' pniiif of view, as well as from that of utility.'

"Xone of these objections apply fo Wellington, for we have five service icFervoirs for the high levels, which maintain n good high-working pre-sure. \\« have a splendid reticulation rijjli(■ thnmgh the city, and 1 understand what threeinch mains wo had have liccn replaced by larger ones some time ago. I'rom the facts] haveenumerated 1 submit: thnl we are charged unfairly liy the underwriters, and I movo that the Chamlier of Commerce fake sleps to have (ho rate of premium minced, and that the underwriters be written to, asking thorn to givo us the particulars of the fire looses for the years 1009-1910 and 1911; also the premiums received from the. city of Wellington during those years." After a lengthy discussion, Mr. Bnllincer moved, and it was unanimously carried: — "That the rates of insurance in Wellington, ns compared with those in Dunedin, Christchurch, and Auckland, havii? been taken into consideration by this chamber, aiid in view of the higher rates of insurance charged in Wellington, this chamber considers thnt the 'A area should be extended considerably, and the Underwriters' Association be asked to give effect to their wishes."