The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 1883.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4562, 18 August 1883, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 1883.

Not only the public mind Las been agitated, but our columns bare of late been occupied by accounts of vnueual ftres occurring to our own ricinity, and tbroughoat the Colony, . We bare no desire to reduce tbc pablte faith jn the prosperity of the times, but we (i&nnQt help attributing these disasters—to # certain extent—to the hardness of the times, the acts of dishonest persons, and the looseness which attends the management of fire .insurance, business in the Colony. The honest trader is undoubtedly blessed by fire insurance, because by paying a small sum annually he may be recouped for an accidental loss; but the premium offered to the unpriu-

cipled man is by no means inconsiderable. A little scheming, and a well laid plot, made by a clever man, would baffle the efforts of the mo9t expert, and as has been incontestably proved, could secure immunity from punishment for an offender if he exercised sufficient caution. One source of danger arises from the eagerness of irresponsible agents to do business for the company appointing them. They are paid by commission and given full power to " push " their respective offices. The mistake of paying a commission on the risks obtained, or the premiums paid in respect thereof, is clearly made manifest by the number of firea reported, and the results of the enquiries held. In the matter of inquests, some very queer evidence is occasionally £iren; and although it may not be sufficient to' warrant a prosecution, or the withholding of money due under an insurance policy, it is enough—in many cases—to engender shrewd suspicions that pure accident is not a sufficient excuse. The perfunctorily carried out duties of agents act, very frequently, as incentives to dishonest persons in encouraging them to over-insure, and the fear of getting into disrepute as a troublesome office, often induces a company to pay a " risk " that, it is morally certain, should be resisted. Competition in business has a healthy effect in nearly every instance, but we fear that it can be carried to extremes in the matter of insurance, and unfortunately we need not go very far for an illustration of our argument. More careful inspections are necessary, if the present system of agency is continued; but, it would appear that more legitimate business would be done, a more thorough basis would be founded, and a more satisfactory result would ensue, if payment by results were dispensed with, and other inducements offered to insurance agents to pay more regard to healthy business than to commission to be earned.