The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 1881.

Temuka Leader, Issue 379, 26 April 1881, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 1881.

A case of stack burning came before Mr J. Nugen.t Wood, coroner for the district, on Saturday last, Under most peculiar circumstances. The owners had insured for a certain siim, and repiesented that the stacks contained 1000 bushels of oats. For three, ordinary stacks this would not be a very extravagant estimate, not many days ago we knew of a stack producing 700 bushels whose dimepsipns were, diameter * ■ ’ under 12

feet. Three stacks to proi. uce 10UO therefore would not be an extravagant estimate* yet we find a jury altnost co,ndgrpn an insurer on the, ground tha.t the slacks yeere over -estimated ojq, the Ipiire proof of the. party who, was to thrash. Now it is very possible for a farmer to be deceived in liis ; es'imates o,c parried 53,way by the opinions of others. vYe have known, even this season, instances ot harvesters estimating when stacking Variously from 12 to 30 bushels an acre, the actual vie d resulting in a middle quantity of 23 bushels an acre. If Mr Ilornbrook had overheard such divergent statements, was he not liable to be carried away with them-, and make his calculations accordingly ? VYe will not go into other particulars as to motives or reasons for Ilornbrook having some satisfaction in in’s own, mind at hearing that the stacks were burned. This much we will s«y, Insurance Companies are very ready to catch at straws when anything turns up that trenches upon the pockets of the shareholders. However much we may be and are opposed to fraud, to swindling of any sort, we feel compelled to caution the pub'ic against giving too much credit to local gossip which may be hatched In such a hotbed as Ternuka. It is doubtless right and proper to protect the interests of every public body, even when they exercise their calling purely for the purpose of making money. Hut there is also a duty to perform to the insurers, and in doing so we would remind them that they pay a very high premium of 40 pe r cent, for even a very few days. At this rate, if ofie fourth of the stacks in Canterbury are insured, it produces a very handsome revenue. Why, We would ask, should they be protected against loss more than any other speculations, VYe ever find a hue and cry got up when a case cannot be clearly shown to have been caused by accident, “ O, it was a

godsehd ; he was hard up for money.” One case, we recollect, where a malignant enemy walked from house to house circulating that Mr So-and-so had set fire to his stacks because they were heavily insured, while all the time the owner did liot owe a penny upon them. To an honest heart this is very trying, yet such conduct is notuncnnmon in communities who have little else to do but cry down the credit or character of the unfortunates who have to deal or trade amongst them. It is not unnatural for insurance agents to make the most of street gossip, and by so doing strive to save th ir own pockets. We do not moan especially Temuka, but generally. The case, a report of which appeals in to-day’s issue, is a very grave oue, and needed much more careful study than the jury bestowed upon it before coming to such a sweeping cision. It is for this reason that we ask the other side to look at it. The cry that incendiarism is increasing in our midst is an unjust one, looking at the large increase in produce and the way that the firing of a chimney is blazed abroad. It is not out of proportion to the increase in cereals that is taking place amongst us. The public who give wing to such cries and gossi|s should remember that they ard only forging their owq chains by giving irisitranoe companies a reason for increasing their premiums.