COACHBUILDERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1709, 28 March 1913, Page 3

COACHBUILDERS.

LAST DAY OF CONFERENCE, FIRE INSURANCE. COMBINATION IN THE TRADE. The Coachbuiltlers' Conferenco met yesterday morning in the Town Hall, and concluded its business. Mr. J. Bett presided. On Combination. Mr. H. Hurrcll (Wellington) read a paper on "Combination and Concentration." He stated that combination as a principle was as old as the hills, but combinations in the past had mostly bent their efforts in the 'direction of increasing the price of the article. Could combination not take the form of •cheapening S. The speaker commented on the daily waste of capital through lack of it. Shops were scattered all up and down the Dominion doing work in wasteful ways. If the capital represented could only be combined under first-class management, the results would be astonishing. Supposing, for instance, that a wholesale fadtory were started in some locality where natural gas or oil or water-power was available. Would not the cost of production be very much reduced? Moreover, snch combination would bring about up-to-date factory buildings, the very latest equipment, firstclass advertising, and the efficient dis'covery of markets for the output, and tradesmen for the works. Such combination would also enable coach works to take up, with profit to themselves and efficiency to the purchaser, sncli attractive side-lines as and tramway and railway carriages. Quite recently the Government had called for tenders for railway carriages, and as far as he knew not a single tender was sent in, the reason most likely being that no firm had the necessary capital and equipment to do so. The speaker then dealt at some length with concentration of effort, which lie 6aid, featured the industrial spirit of the age. In its most practical form such concentration" me\nt bringing the article manufactured within the reach of the masses.

Fire Insurance. Mr. G. Dash (Waimate) read a paper on "Farts and Fallacies in Fire lnsur-' ance." The speaker explained at the" outset why he, a coachbuilder, had taken up a sub-agency for an insurance company. His reason was that he was not satisfied that all was as it should be when he found that he was paying 28s. 4d. per <£100 for his cover, while the owner of a wooden dwelling across the street only paid 3s. Bd. per .£IOO. In order to learn the "difference between the two buildings, he accepted the position when it was offered him. He then learned that it i\;as not the presence of the smithy fires'which Raised, his risk. It was tho presenco of .file wood shop that raised the cost- of covering tho smithy. It was a popular fallacy that, in insuring, it was best to .put oneself in the hands of "a good agent" of "a good company," and leavo it to him to do that which was best. This, however, was not so „ good as it sounded. The agent was there in the. interests of the company, and would not point out to the insuror the least expensive methods of securing the maximum of cover. It was also a popular , fallacy (from which even sub-agents were not altogether exempt) that in making out a personal for insurance little care was,needed as to details. This, was dangerous. Suspicious circumstantial events might surround the burning out of tlio most -honest of men, and if these circumstances created doubt-in tho' x mind of tho companies' officers, they naturally seek to lessen their loss by taking advantage, of any technicality offering. It was also a common fallacy that if insurance was more than usually costly, it was as well not to insure," but "just to chance it." The more costly the cover the. Rreater the risk, for the price was ba'sed upon the experience of that risk. It was a popular fallacy, too, that if a building cost, say, ,£IOOO, and it was insured for the maximum allowed, and kept covered for many years at the same amount, and it\ was then destroyed by fire, the company must pay out the full amount or expend such amount in replacing the building. This was not so. If methods and material were less costly and it was more profitable for tho company to rebuild than to pay out, the company might so do, and pocket the difference. It was also a popular fallacy that in the event of a complete loss the salvage belonged to the man who insured. This was not necessarily so, but to a certain extent depended upon tho circumstances /of tho loss. It was a popular fallacy of vehicle owners that if their vehicles were in a coachbuilder's shop for repairs to the owners of ihe shop were responsible for loss by fire. -This also was not so.

Organisation. Mr. T. Hurrell (Hawera) read a paper on "Organisation,"'and what it had meant to not only the coach-building •trade, but . to the industries the world 'over. . - ! , . Other] Business. It was moved and carried: "That tho secretary be instructed to arrange with the proprietors *of the 'Coachbuilder and Wheelwright.' to. furnish a copy of their' issue containing a report of the proceedings of this conference to,each coachbuilder in the Dominion who is not a subscriber ..to their journal." It was decided - to send fraternal greetings to Messrs. .Tames, Robin, J. H. Roclifort, and John Ejett, who had been pioneers in, the trade.' The conference passed a. hearty vote of thanks to Mr. John Bett, for the manner in which ho had conducted the conference. . i' ,' ' ' • It was decided -to hold the conference at Autflcland. ' At. tho invitation of the Mayor (Mr. D., M'Laren) visiting delegates were shown over the power station, fire brigade station, electric lighting station, and alsro the pumping station yesterday afternoon.

SOCIAL GATHERING. In the evening a dinner was held at The Tiffeii. in Manners' Street. Among the toasts honoured were:—"The King," "Taranaki Coachbnilders' Association," "The Guests," "Wellington Master Coachbnilders," and "The Merchants." An entertainment programme was arranged as follows:—Songs, Messrs. Barcham, Hickmott, M'Carthy, J. liett, R. Black; recitations, Messrs. E. Harvie nnd H. Eccles; and violin solo, Mr. Holmes.