The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1865.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 4993, 13 January 1885, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1865.

The telegrams received daily from various parts of the colony, conveying intelligence of fires occurring on premises which are as a rule well insured, certainly open up a question as to the encouragement given to incendiarism by the laxity of insurance companies in fixing rates, or raises the notion that some perfunctorN ness must exist on the part of officials in allowing over-insurances to be made. For some time past—more particularly in the Dunedin district—wo have had to chronicle an almost daily occurrence of some conflagration, and even after allowing for every accident, it seems more than singular that during dull times so great a number of insured fires should be reported. It may be quoted that notwithstanding the losses sustained, the greater number of the companies return their shareholders liberal interest on the money invested by them, but this does not remove the fact that an incentive to crime is offered by companies not insisting on their agents being very exact in their scrutiny before " passing a risk." Were every care taken, insurance company shareholders would receive larger dividends than they do now, and less incendiarism would be known. When an extensive fire occurs, a few people are probably secured from loss, but how many suffer ? The greater number are perhaps insured, yet it must not be lost sight of that very many persons who are not, are invariably sufferers. In reference to such cases, perhaps some benevolent Government will bring in a compulsory measure providing that all holders of houses shall insure their chattels according to the value placed upon them by an inspecting officer. Under the present system, we are de cidedly under the impression that a more careful discrimination in accepting risks would result in greater immunity from damage arising from fire. We commend these remarks to various companies and agents, while showing our unselfishness by remarking that fortunately our district has been singularly free from the ravages of the devouring element.