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when this became known to Insurance Companies, the higher premium of
$8.00 per mille was charged. That probably explains why the China In-
surance Company charged that premium on the drums of film-scrap while
stored in Godown. No. 1. Godown No. 5 formed part of a building partially
used for domestic purposes.
There was no warranty against the storage
in this godown of any type of goods dangerous or otherwise, but, because
of its connection with domestic premises, the maximum premium on a
Chinese-owned godown, i.e. $10.00 per mille, was charged. This is the
highest fire-insurance premium charged by Insurance Companies, who are
members of the Fire Insurance Association.
55. The acceptance, distribution, and refusal of goods for storage
by the godown staff depended entirely on whether there was space for
their storage in any particular godown without committing an "offence"
against, what Mr. Wilkie Lam described as, the "insurance regulations".
A complete lack of knowledge of the Dangerous Goods Regulations was
admitted by the senior godown staff, and this ignorance extended to the
Chief Manager of the Wing On Company, Mr. Kwok Lam Po, who was ultimately
responsible for the management of the godowns. If the staff's reliance
on the classification adopted by the Insurance Association had not been
complete, it is possible that they would have known the absolute pro-
hibition by law against the storage, except in very limited quantities,
of cinematograph film and dangerous goods of any category except 7
and 8 in places connected with domestic premises. It is unfortunate
that the insurance tariff contains no absolute warranty against the
storage of dangerous goods of Categories 1 6 and of cinematograph
films in buildings connected with domestic premises, as it is then poss-
ible that, had it done so, even though the staff were in ignorance of
the official regulations, this lamentable loss of life and property
might never have occurred. We make this statement in the belief that
the nature of the contents of the drums of film scrap were known to at
least some of the members of the godown staff, because of course rubber
would be classified as a Category 8 substance only, and its storage in
a godown connected with domestic premises might have been permitted by the Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade.
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