THE SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 211, 11 October 1909, Page 4

THE SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

To the Editor. Sir, —In your issue of October Dth the report of the proceedings of the above body, under the "heading of "Insurance, is a fair, but necessarily abbreviated account of the discussion of the discussion thai took place, My object in writing is to give the qualifying remark that led up to my advocacy of "making it compulsorily for I lie Board's tenants to insure in the State oll'iee.'' This remark had only a direct bearing on what., had been stated by both .Mr. .SitfYpson j and the secretary, and was intended to apply to those properties that were absolutely public properties, of which we. the School Commissioners, are trustees. I held the opinion when the question of insurance came up in IJ>OS that tenants should have the option of insuring in the State or any other office, providing the covering insuring ollice would give the same guarantee as tlie secretary's office. I am still of that opinion. —J am, etc..

mi. T. JENNINGS, M.P. j To the Editor. j Sir.-The discussion at Hie meeting of the Board of School Commissioners, , as reported in your Saturday's issue, on the question of tire insurances opens up the whole question of the conditions of the leases. Of old it was thought that the land—or rather the landowner—was always the first consideration: his interests, his consent, his rights' (privileges), etc.; but we have i .»nged and .ire changing all that, with the help of the School Commissioners, as may be seen if we compare the conditions of the latest leases with those of the early leases. Now they even .milt the compulsory building clause in town lands', and quite right, too. If however, the lessee choose to build, the lease compels him to insure, his own pruprrty ioo, as Mr. Simpson points out, and that in the name of the Commissioners. Why? Because someone says that if a house bei built on a section and then destroyed by lire the property is deteriorated. Not at all! The fact that a house had been built showed that the site had a building value; and the site value still remains. It is onlv a little hit of the relict of that old feeling that the owner of the land must have more protection for his property (or monopoly) than anyone else concerned. Wc are mending all that. When Burke wrote, "The plough—the first creditor in every estate," he put a big hole in that false idea: be -it that land was of no value until used in some way. The compulsory insurance clause should go the way of the compulsory building clause in these! leases; it' may not please lawyers to say tliat, though. Then, even if the compulsory insurance remains, why in the name of the Commissioners? They cannot claim the money because, tneir property is deteriorated; they can only use it in replacing whin, --ns by the fire, and for the benefit of the lessee. So, if any insurance, it should he in the name of the lessee, the person interested. Now the School Commissioners are only a Government department in reality, and it does seem strange to propose that State property (as they claim it to be) should be coinpulsorily insured in any outside office when there is a State fire insurance department already established. The whole thing is only explicable when we notice that it emanated from, and is supported by, insurance agents. Today I discussed this question with another lessee under the Commissioners, and he sfays he does not insure in ihe Alliance Company nor in the Stale office, nor in the name of the Commissioners, but in his own name ami in an office of his own choice, and for his own protection. The office had better hunt him out. lit' there is so great necessity for 1 and difficulty in keeping trace of these insurances, then employ an addition il , clerk.—l am, etc.. A LESSEE UNDER THE HOARD.