The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17,1895.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 144, 17 December 1895, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1895.

FIRE INSURANCE, o

The Otago business men are apparently determined to keep the question of the Fire Insurance Tariff steadily before the public. A meeting of insurers was held in Dunediu y«sterday, presided over by the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce. It was resolved :— That in view of the combination of the insurance companies and the oppressive tariff forced upon the community by such nomhinatioD, the meeting decides to mark its disapproval of the same by re-.-.pecLfully requesting the public to insure solely with three British Companies to be selected by a committee appointed for that purpose." A second resolution was carried requesting the Government to add fire insurance to its life insuranco business. As there is a meeting of chief officers of Fire Insurance Companies doing business in the Colony, to be beld in Wellington early next month, we have some hope that they will recognise the danger of their position and make such concessions as will avert tbe evils threatened them. It may be too late, for there can now be no question that public opinion is largely in favor of the Government undertaking the business of Fire Insurance, and Ministers are generally politic enough to adopt a course which, while " running on all fours " with the will of the people would also be a direct source of revenue. It is only natural to expect that the Insurance Companies wilt accept the least of two evils and instead of losing the whole of their business by a perverse course, will endeavor to retain it by judicious conciliation.