Compensation
p. 11 · Read in the full issue
Various Plans For Insurance Against War Damage
IN an article on page 11, an attempt is made to estimate, roughly, the amount of economic loss, actual and potential, which the Japanese war has brought to the Pacific Territories.
It should be noted that all the British Pacific administrations are trying to es tablish compensation funds, on a war risk insurance basis, from which persons suffering loss by war may receive some compensation.
Australia has done it simply by com pelling all owners of buildings to insure, and giving owners of all property other than buildings, the option of insuring, at a flat rate of 8/- per cent. Property owners in North Australia, Papua and New Guinea have been allowed to enter this insurance fund, and to make their insurances retrospective to January 1, which means that those who have suf fered losses through the Japanese attacks will be compensated to the full extent that the fund permits. But they may have to wait a long time, before they know the amount of their compensation.
Canberra, in February, announced that compensation for damage will be payable after the war, but the War Damage In surance Commission is empowered to pay up to £5O in cases of immediate distress, pending investigation of claims. Coconut trees on New Guinea plantations, des troyed or damaged in enemy raids, come within the scope of the insurance scheme.
Fiji
THE Governor of Fiji, on January 9, set up a Committee to plan a system of insurance of property against war damage, and he announced on February 16 that a plan for Fiji was well advanced, and would be submitted for London’s ap proval. It would be retrospective to January 1. , The Fiji Committee, on February 16, said the plan which it had recommended to the Government provided; War dam age cover available only to those persons holding fire insurance policies, and the war damage indemnity limited to the amount covered by the fire insurance policy on the identical interest.
Sir Harry Luke, in his announcement, dealt only with Fiji, which has not yet suffered war damage. It is presumed that he, as High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, will seek a similar plan for Solo mon Islands, Gilbert and Ellice Colony, New Hebrides and Tonga. There already has been considerable war damage in the two former territories, and it is sur prising that no announcement has been made.