South Canterbury Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2523, 22 April 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1881.

Is it a characteristic of the colony or a sign of the times that fires are becoming dreadfully prevalent ? A few years ago the destruction of property by fire was an exceedingly rare occurrence ; now we have fires at the average rate of half-a-dozen daily. Another feature is that the flames are beginning to exhibit a charming impartiality, At one time they were confined almost exclusively to buildings suffering from old age and natural decay, but lately the old and the new have suffered alike. Nor is any attention paid to the class of property by the devouring element, for all kinds of structures from dwellings and churches, to ships, hotels, and haystacks, are paying the penalty. The colony, in fact, appears to be in a state of slow combustion. If a fire takes place in Wellington it is immediately followed by a series of similar outbreaks in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Oamaru set the example this season with stacks of grain, and the illuminations promptly spread across the Rangitata on the north and the Molyneux on the south. The only place that seems to be almost fire-proof is Timaru, and yet the firetax here is as heavy as it is in the matchbox towns where conflagrations are of nightly occurrence. How do these fires originate ? The popular causes appear to grow with the triumphal march of scientific discovery. In the days of our grandfathers, when the steel and flint were in common use, accidental fires were almost unknown. Gradually, as insurance began to be known, spontaneous combustion came to be understood. Then matches and rats were the acknowledged authors of serious conflagrations, and now we have defective chimaies and kerozene lamps taking the place of the mischievous phosphorouseating rodents. A remarkable thing in these kerozene explosions is tha they generally occur when the premises

are taking care of themselves and tho occupiers are on a visit somewhere, or at the dead hour of the night between midnight and dawn, when people are, as a rule, enjoying their soundest sleep. In these last mentioned instances the unfortunate inmates invariably escape in their night-dresses and leave their money behind them, and the fire brigade arrives on the scene just at that interesting moment when the flames have obtained a complete mastery. Inquests rarely follow these illuminations and when they do they generally result in a waste of time and a little temporary unpleasantness without leading to anything practical or beneficial. The Coroner and bis jury have to accept the explanation offered by the presumable sufferer, because no other can be supplied. It may occur to them that depression of trade, monetary difficulties, depreciation in the value of property, the inability to let or realise profitably, in connection with a substantial insurance policy ready to be turned into hard cash, may have something to do with the accident, but in tho absence of proof positive they must swallow the kerosene lamp or defective chimney theory, however unlikely, and keep their surmises to themselves.

Nobody has any compassion for the insurance companies because sympathy in their case would be sadly misplaced. A few hay-stacks reduced to ashes constitutes a rare stroke of luck to these organisations, because every farmer forthwith ensures for safety. In a similar way if a town is only partially insured a few fires beat all the canvassers in the world. Every flare up means additional business and if a panic can only he excited, the rates on premiums immediately advance. The prevalence of fires rarely makes any difference on the dividends of the companies ; hence they have outlived the slow combustion that has been going on all over the colony and paid from 10 to 20 per cent per annum besides laying past handsome reserves. It is only companies like the Standard which are mismanaged by amateurs who know absolutely nothing ot insurance business, that suffer. With the exception of this company, there is not an insurance concern in New Zealand at this moment that is not basking in the sunshine of prosperity in spite of explosive kerosene lamps, and midnight fires. Eut although the insurance companies are entitled to no consideration the ratepayers arc. The deplorable waste of material that is going on has to he made good. These losses are met by those who have to insure for safety, hut who never realise on their policies. This is where the shoe manufactured by the companies pinches. There is reason to believe that insurance transactions in this colony are rapidly attaining the complexion of gigantic gambling. We do not say that incendiarism is becoming alarmingly common, but we are justified in assuming that the increasing prevalence of fires is clue to astounding carelessness. The serious side of the question is this—is building going on at a sufficient rate to keep up the equilibrium ? Are the carpenters and joiners able to keep pace with the kerosene lamps and defective chinmics? Is the traffic in fires, of which we have glaring evidence, legitimate, or should it come within the scope of dangerous gambling ?