WAITARA AND THE UNDERWRITERS' ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 193, 24 November 1910, Page 3

WAITARA AND THE UNDERWRITERS' ASSOCIATION.

To tlie Editor. Sir.—ln this morning's issue of the Daily News there is reproduced a paragraph concerning myself which appeared in the Waitara Evening Mail of Monday. I send you herewith a eSpy of-a letter addressed by me to the editor-'oi that paper, which you will d«Vubtless be willing, as a matter of fa ; tf play, to publish in to-morrow's Ndws. Please let it appear in extenso.—l am, etc., F. I'.' CORKILL.

(Enclosure,);

Sir, —Late this afternoon my attention has been called to a paragraph which appears in the Waitara Evening j Mail of yesterday's date, the contents 01 which are go untrue that I hardly, know ,lio\" to (leal with it. I request youi permission to quote it by sentences so that I may have the opportunity 'Of letting your readers see how unfairly my name has been made use of. , You say-. "This morning the town clerk of Waitara communicated over the 'phone with Mr. F. P. Corkill, secretary of the Taranaki Fire Underwriters' Association, asking when the insurance representatives would visit Waitara for the purpose of satisfying themselves that Jthe water supply justified a reduction in the insurance premiums." The town clerk did not communicate with mc by telephone, but accosted me in McLean Street in your town, I am not, nor eyer was, secretary of the Taranaki ]sire Underwriters' Association, which bocty was merged in the Auckland Fire Underwriters' Association some eight or nine years ago. "The reply was to the effect that the people of Waitara had years ago,hrqken faith with the insurance companies. \Mio supplied the town-with a manual engine, which.after a spasmodic effort were cast 011 one side. The present fire brigade movement, Mr. Corkill says, will only be spasmodic, and, in view thereof, it is doubtful if the insurance .companies will do anything." Only a very clever man like your town clerk could distort what I did say in this fashion. My reply was that we have 110 organisation in Taranaki which can deal with such an application as he said your Borough Council desired to make, ana that it must be addressed to the Auckland Fire Underwriters' Association, who would probably refer it to some of the insurance representatives in New Plymouth for a report. I further said that, in my opinion, before making such an application the Waitara Borough Counicl would be wise to procure a complete equipment for the brigade, as the'gear now at its disposal is entirely inadequate. I did not say, suggest, or in any way imply that the present-fire brigade would be only spasmodic, nor did I make use of any language which could be construed as a reflection on its members collectively or individually. On the contrary, I remarked that the brigade had done wonders with its poor plant. In the course of the conversation I referred to the unfortunate experience of the Taranaki Underwriters' Association (of which I was chairman for some years) in trying to help Waitara. When we got our high pressure water supply in New Plymouth, about ISBS, we no longer had much use for the two excellent manual engines belonging to the Association, and it was decided to present them to two of \the smaller towns on condition that suitable sheds were erected and brigades organised. Waitara was the recipient of a first-class Merrvweather engine, worth at least £l5O. A brigade was formed and a shed built in McLean Street, and your town had as good an equiqment as was possible under existing conditions. For a time everything went right, but I well remember the rating committee of the Association paying a visit to Waitara and finding the shed door open and the engine in such a condition as to be absolutely useless—nuts slack, washers dried up, and generally in a state of disrepair. (At this time your able ancl energetic town clerk was not resident in Waitara.) The Association naturally did not like this state of affairs, and our remonstrances resulted in the engine being put in order and the brigade heartened up a bit. However, things again went wrong, and I understand that the Waitara Town Board eventually sold the engine for £ls. Your final remarks are as unfriendly as the first part of your paragraph is untruthful: "Mr. Corkill does not appear to have any time for Waitara, but it is certain'his answer will not satisfy the people of this town, who can fairly ask for the same treatment as was afforded the adjoining town of Inglewood." Let me just say that, although the Fire Office which I have represented for the last 27 years 'Wias not interested in the losses wiiich inn fortunately occurred in vour'town oi Sunday morning, I imule'.time, to viqil Waitara early next moyning for the. p irpoSe of observing tlie cOrt- : dition of affairs, and especially t'o a'scer-' j tain how:the'wattir 1 gu'p'ply and b'rignde lvad justified vthek. .existence,' ,'Yo|i may wonder, .)v]lV' I too,k rthis, t.r.oubje, wjhere I was not clireetly* concerned,' and' it may lie news t#~mahy of j-our readers that my company is oaTrving probably three ;of four, • times as - much , .rink in your .Bprp.ugh as, any, other. Office. ..I wrote my report last night,..n'oarly twentv-four hours before I sa\V 'or heard of your illnatured' references' to me, mid' it will afford me pleasure ,t6 "allow your Mayor or any other respectable .member ,of your oommunity tq read, the copy in.my let-ter-book right through on application at my office. This will enable your readers to of the value of your pronouncement ; "Mt. Corkill does not appear to |. have any -time for. Waitara."—l atn, etc.,

F, P. CORKILL. New Plymouth, 1 'Nov. 22rid, 1910.