The Daily News. THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1905. THE HOSPITAL BOARD'S FIRE INSURANCES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7803, 20 April 1905, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1905. THE HOSPITAL BOARD'S FIRE INSURANCES.

The members of the Hospital and Cliaritable Aid Hoard on Monday last had before them a. petition from fifteen insurance agents in the town, also a letter from the local agent for the State Firo Office. In both these communications reasons were urged why the Board shouiJ give its fire risks to the institutions represented by the respective applicants, and no doubt when the time arrives for dealing with the question the Board will, as stated by the Chairman, tate that course which commends itself to their judgment. One would have thought that there the matter would be allowed to rest. Our (local contemporary, however, has a bono to pick wi.th the' local agent for the State Fire Ollice relative to the terms) of the letter ho wrote to the Board, but, curiously enough, the, tactics put forwacd for condemnation in the case of Mr Russell are the very same as are adopted in tho article referred to, only with this -difference—the categorical reasons advanced in Mr Russell's letter to the Board were definite and business-like, but our contemporary's remarks were nothing more nor less than a thinly-veiled attack on the State Fire Insurance Office, and an attempt to gratuitously advertise what are referred to as tho "sound and honest methods" and the "liberality and enterprise" of the insurance, companies. We have no objection to urge against the latter. Possibly the public would badly need reminding of the blessings they have receivod in dealing with thu companies, as they may have forgotten tho reasons which operated on Parliament in creating the Steite Fire Insurance Department. Be this as it may, the lauding of the companies is harmless, even if accomplished discreetly. We agree with our contemporary that there is a right and a wrong way. We even go and point out that attempting to put an innocent party in the wrong by means of misleading statements is thoroughly reprehensible. For the information of our readers it may be stated that the attack referred to opens thug : "The Chairman, of the Hospital Hoard was quite entitled to resent the terms in which the local agent of tho State Fire Insurance Department applied for the Boasd'e business." What would these words imply to casual readers who had not carefully mastered the contents of the board's proceedings ? Without doubt they would assume that the Chairman had resented the terms of the letter, yet there w not a particle of evidence to itcar out such a conclusion, nor is" Mr Tisch the'man to put himself into such a false position Then we are told that "the man who starts in business in competition with established rivals (mark the refreshing satire of the phrase) does not, if hi; lj wise, begin by telling his prospective customers that the other people who have. Juul their business so long have made a practice of robbing them." We do not profess to have that intimate knowledge of the methods of business men starting in competition with "established" i'lvalfi, which has fallen to the lot of our but if they are akin to those displayed by certain journals against the State Fire Insurance Pupai'tiiieiit, then we have no desire to possess that knowledge, as we should have no use for it, inasmuch as It Is founded on the quicksands of fabrication. What Air Russell stated in his letter was : "The cut of S3 1-3 per cent, in the old rate justified the assumption that ovcrehaj'gtjs to that amount had been levied in past, yfjars." A more accurate exposition of the situation it would bii difficult to conceive, yet this is distorted into a, bflld charge i>f pursuing a practice of robbery. It is encouraging to leurn' that out of fifteen insurance offices doing business here "at least two op three deserve well of New Plymouth,'' but presumably the other twelve or thirteen do not. Wu shoujd pot have been surprised if the two or three had been reduced to one, but probably there may be a particular pet lamb of this small flock which looms large in the of our contemporary, u* Vvtvs a kindly feeling

for the remainder, else how can the ] comments we have referred to be h explained ? In refraining from di.v t cussing tho "sound reasons" advanc- U ed for supporting the State Office, ' the writer of the article exercises a wise discretion, inasmuch as ho I thereliy I rotecls himself from dis- ' ( closing the untenable nature of his I arguments. All the same an at- .' tempi is made to got in a shot or ■' two at long range, but, again, no I. harm is done. We cannot refrain from a slight allusion to the warn- ' ing given anent "suicidal cutting," I if only to remind our readers that not long since we published an instance in point, but the cutting was by the companies, and not by the SUte Office. Like most attacks of Ill's nature, the sting lies in the t.iil, and the preliminary skirmishes lead up to the masked battery. "The State- Fire Insurance Department has a large held to work in without having to resort to abuse of the companies, and to thinly-veiled threats to secure business. It was highly im- J proper to attempt to influence the . Hospital Hoard by the suggestion that the Board was dependent on I the State for a subsidy, and for assistance in time of possible calamity." These words we have quoted should give a titling idea, of the peculiar temperament which the writer of the article displays throughout the process of letting off his spleen against an institution which has met a long felt need. Had the criticism been impartial it would have exposed the glaring error with which the petition opened in stating that the Boasd, had passed a resolution deciding to give all its insurance business to the State Office., whereas no such resolution existed, and the matter was still an open question. It might also have referred to the questionable plea put forward by tht companies' ugents that the Hoard's insurance business should lye given to them with a view of supporting residents of the town who were contributors to the hospital and charitable rate. It also failed to appreciate the statement that the rates of the companies were low, and in many cases lower than the State. Perhaps this is the reason for the warning already referred to in relation to "suicidal cutting"; if so, the companies should take it to (heart. The "ring" may well say : | "Save us' from such a friend."