THE MERRY MORGUE.

NZ Truth, Issue 58, 28 July 1906, Page 3

THE MERRY MORGUE.

PALMjBIIfON NORTH'S MUD^ HEADED COUNCIL

Keep the Stiffs Where School Kiddies 'Can Smell 'Em and Shuader. .-%

Manawatu wants a morgue, and judging from- what has been >said. ©B the present butcher shop—a maiccjshifi for a morgue—in which the dead ha?^^. been laid, it is nothing shorV ■'?$% -"' scandal and a reproach, if such' is' aig <all possible, on the miiddle-heaidel members, of ■ the Palmerston Noriafl Council, who have it in their ppwel ,to alter things, if the state of aftadri that has existed for some time p.aai is not remedied. Residents of Palaierston North have lately been giViig vent %o their feelings on the morguty and judging by the correspondency ■ the local press, the. hard things saw are totally" justified. It is des.fliri]M» as one of the most glaring disgraoe* in and around the prosperous toyhjh. It is a microbic and insanitary <£& called a morgue.' Its positiwt, **£ attention .given' to the '<>*ii»hec'« shop" is too terrible to sxist i* tfcli heart of iany civilised township. The^i ■remarks are quite called for m Tiap of what exists and has been going «|. ;Post-mortems, on corrupting qadawpp (.havebeen held right in view otfip*ing crowds of school children, ani others ppssessiug morbid minds li^t» crowded oh to the overlooking cttxUai to watch carving anK stitching up human carcases.. S»e»qi itime ago the remains of a man noun ed Jeffersey jarrived at the morgue* : between three 1 and six days atW^ (death. There tfee corpse remainotl, left! 'some :tim'e, until/it had to Xte rem*vled to make way for a "fresh" corpc*' lin more senses than one. The mot--1 gue, such as it is, is in a very p«ptt^ lous 1 portion of the town, and reside ents are desirous of having it removwL There is ample room for a iriprgue,ia the hospital grounds.•; and it certain^ ; seems that is the right place for sucfl' ■ a necessary, institution. Recently, a deputation of PaJmerstonites wailecl on the Council awl urged on t-heia the necessity of dicing something in the much . discussed matter. Tli* ; " Council, at- a recent meeting, did deal •? with the -question, a»d told the depti- . tation that it (the Qxouneil) could hoi see. its way to remove the morgue a» there was no other possible site available. It, however, promised to reconsider its decision if a suitabl* place was obtained. The Hospital authorities decline to alsow a larger morgue to be erected on thsic grounds. The'police autbiprities cawr a very 'suitable ground at the rear.. 68 the station, but it is required for additional prison accommodation. Tll« next best thing, however, lias beam done. An Bft fence is to be erected around 1 the building, and this, it i* hoped, will obviate the present. objectionable features. There is something gruesome about this morgue dating from its vert completion. It so work* ed upon the contractor for its erection tlwit as soon as he'd completed the job he saw that it was so good and was so tickled at its com for table appearance that he sat himself down! ;on the doorstep and blew out Mil j brains, thus enstiring first? tenancy ! I j