FIRE BOARD FINANCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1686, 28 February 1913, Page 3

FIRE BOARD FINANCE.

A MINISTER'S VIEWS. (By -Tele'srapli.—Press Association,) Auckland, February 26. ' Tho financial basis of Fire Hoards was discussed ' -to-day by the lion. F. M. U. Fisher,. Minister in charge,of tho State Fire Insuranco Office. In commenting on tho opinions expresssd at the Fire Boards" Conferaneo in Christchurch regarding the holding of inquests'upon tho causes of fircs, Mr. Fisher said ho had recently obtained a fairly lengthy report dealing with the subject of fire inquests; one -objection to the proposal . that inquiries should bo made regarding tho causes of all fires ivus that the proceeding would bo much more costly than the delegates to tlio conference appeared to imagine. Itwould probably bo found that if tho Government attempt to hold inquiries regarding all fires, the annual expenditure would bo about .£7OOO. The most effective means of checking losses by firo was for insuranco companies to make batter inspection iof their ,'risksi and-, exercising greater care in undertaking, business. A fair percentage of tho firo loss was attributable to keenness of insurance companies to obtain business, leading them to'accept riskswhich t'liey would not tako if greater care was exorcised. ■ Even if the cost, of inquiries fell upon tho'Firo Boards, this position would hardly bo satisfactory, said Mr. Fisher, as Firo Boards aro maintained by tho people, who tako precaution to insuro themselves against'fires. "This appears to mo to bo another legislative error of the past, by which ail absolutely false principle has been raised to make a careful and thrifty man contribute towards t'rio ujikeep. of a fire brigadp which, when occasion arises, is used to extinguish a firo in tho house of a 111011 wlio, since: he has paid.no insurances, contributes nothing towards tho maintenance of tho firo brigade. The same 'principle' lias been embodied, in the old ago pensions scheme.: Tho existing law, will not allow a pension to. bo given to a man who lias been thrifty, but awards it' to the man who has been thriftless and possibly indolent. "These matters aro not' going to bo altered in a, week or a month, because • tho whole financial basis;will have to b©' altered, nevertheless a •change in the financial system of Firo Boards will have to be made." ■