CHINESE DISINTERMENTS

LOCAL PROCEEDINGS

The exhuming- of the bodies of dead Chinamen from their graves in Waikumete cemetery began at daybreak^his morning-. Nine bodies are to be lifted if they can be discovered, but it is doubtful if they can all be ' located with certainty, as the cemej tery records appear to contain only four of the nine names. Some graves of unnamed persons will probably be i 1 opened for the purpose of ascertaining- if the names of the missing I Chinamen can be discerned on the ' coffins. There are known to be about twenty-two Chinese buried at Waiku,mete,'but only those are being- disturbed whose relations have arranged for the proceedings. An instance of the difficulties which attend the securing of the right bodies is presented by the case of a Chinaman who was drowned with two other Chinese on the Wairarapa. The names of the men were known at the time, but they could not be individually identified owing to their close resemblance to one another, and they were not separately named when buried. The question of how, to pick out the right man now is one which is likely to puzzle even a Chinaman. The possibilities which the intricacies of the situation open up are too far-reaeh-jing for speculation. The bodies are !of all ages, the last disinterment movement having- occurred twenty years ago, when i about 200 bodies were taken. The | present undertaking involves the removal of about 450 bodies from 30 or i4O cemeteries of the colony. There ■are 190 coffins stacked ready at < Greymouth, 200 near Dunedin, and | srterller numbers in some other i places. It is stated that one or two ! disinterments are to take place from the other cemeteries around Auckland. The expense is defrayed from a fund raised by subscription in the colony, together with a charge on the relatives who receive the remains in China equivalent to 30/. A contri- , bution to the disinterment tund entitles each Chinaman to a pass guaranteeing him immunity from the penalty of £20, which he has otherwise to pay for re-admission to

U twelve o'clock to-day only two bellies had been exhumed. The slowness of the proceedings was due to the want of zinc to make the inner coffins.