The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwiea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1895. INSURANCE RATES.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 16, 18 July 1895, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwiea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1895. INSURANCE RATES.

It has been long felt by insurers that the rates charged them are in many cases exorbitant and they have found in Mr Hogg, the member for Masterton, a champion to fipht their battles. Mr Hogg is reported to have said, when advocating Governmental interference and the establishment of State Fire lu^urance, that in tho town of Ma terton there were traiesmen paying wbat was virtually a heavy rent to

fire insurance companies. And who was it that had to pay this money ? It was not those who contributed directly— the tradesmen— bui the unfortunate customers. There was not a iran, woman, or child, in New Zea land but was levied upon through the medium of these atrocious fire insure nee rates. The rates were simply inhuman, outrageous, and preposterous. And, notwithstanding all that was said about the poor insurance companies, some of them had within the last few months been able to declare dividends of ten and fifteen per cent — most extraordinary divideuds when they considered the price at which money was invested at the present time. There was great reason why Government should be called upon to deal with the matter. They knew for a fact that a very large amount of money was swept completely out of the colony into foreign channels ; that the money that was contributed to these companies was not allowed to rest in New Zealand ; that it did not circulate among the community, but passed to other parts of the world, into the hands of merciless Shylocks and speculators " Of course, applying ihis to Feilding, the way to get reduced insurance premiums is to have a good water supply.