FIRE RATES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1433, 7 May 1912, Page 2

FIRE RATES.

REQUEST AND REFUSAL. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACTIVE. Some wrcli> ago in tbo Chamber of Commerce, Mr. T. Ilallinger .suggested Unit Uie i'iro insurance rules in Wclliiiijloii were nnneoe.-Kiriiy heavy, ami flint Wellington was badly treated lj.v the ruderwriters' Association ill !iavin;r such a small area to which Hip lowest rales ftpplied. As a r"snit of his bringing forward of tilo business, the secretary of (he chamber wrote to the Cndenvriters* Association a-skiiiß to lie .supplied with the fire losses in Wellington for the years ending .lone HO, I'JO9, I'JIO, and 1911, and asking also whether there was any reason why (lit! "A" area in Wellington, carryins the lowest current rates, could not bo considerably extended, hi this the t'ndenvriters' Association replied that tbey had no particulars available of the amount of tire losses in Wellington for the years specified, ■ and therefore couid not supply them, and I hat thov had recently reviewed Uio ureas in Wellington and had decided to inako no alteration. This replv came before the council of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday. Mr. 't'. Baiiins;er said it seemed a st,range thing that the underwriters kept no records of the tiro losses of Wellington city, !(<■ was extremely sorry that they could not givo the pirticuiar.s so that a fair comparison could be, made with the other cities for which insurance losses wcra available. The figures he had given concerning other towns were absolutely correct, and it was absolutely impossible for him to get them for a longer period. The objection made by some fire insurance managers that the period over which he had made a comparison was too short, but the figures for the period were tho only ones available. How was it possible for"the underwriters to refute the figures he gave. Ho stated that the Auckland water supply was a very weak one in many quarters of the town, and that there were also blocks ill the "A" area in that city oil which it would be extremely difficult to tight a fire effectively. He thought it was to be regretted that the underwriters declined to discuss the question of rating of risks with the Chamber of Commerce. Insurance was a very important matter, and a very proper one for the chamber to be concerned about. Ho referred to the fact that Mr. A. S. Biss had stated from the public platform that the rates had not been increased. This statement, lie said, was incorrect, a'nd ho instanced the rates which ho was required Jo pay on his own building. These had been 7s. per cent, when the building was in wood, ami now the rates oil a practically lire-proof building were 9s. (Id. per cent. Mr. Dawson considered that the underwriters' reply was a slight on the Chamber of Commerce. Surely tho fire kisses for Wellington must be ascertainable. It seemed to him that the underwriters knew what the losses were, but declined to give them. He complimented Mr.' Hallinger on tlm good work he had done in bringing the matter forward. .Mr. C. W. Jones asked how the State firo rates compared with- the companies' ratc-s, and what, were their allotment of areas in the city. Tlw chairman replied tint although the Slate Firo Department was not the association, it adopted all thc'associalion's areas, ratings, and by-laws, . Mr. A. Leigh' Hunt suggested that a conference should be arranged. Mr. A. 8. Biss,' in reply to Mr. Bollinger's statement about himself, stated that he had not said the rates had not been reduced. What lie had said was that Wellington insurers would have had to pay still hifjher rates if Wellington were under a lire l>oard, because the amount paid by the insurance companies towards the cost ef the, tiro brigade would have been passed on. The following.resolution was finally carried:—"That an endeavour bo made to arrange a conference with the Fire Underwriters' Association to deal with tho -question of tire rates in Wellington city, and that Messrs. Bn'linger, Macintosh, and Dawsoii-bo Ilia chamber's representatives."