SYMONDS STREET CEMETERIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 168, 15 July 1908, Page 4

SYMONDS STREET CEMETERIES.

PROPOSAL TO STOP BURIALS. A bill, promoted by the City Council, enabling that body to take over the cemeteries in Symonds-street and to close the same in 1909, with a few exceptions, for burials, was considered at a meeting of the Auckland Presbytery last' night. The exceptions provided in the bill are those of the widow or wid- , ower, over fifty years of age, of any person already buried in these grounds. After discussion, the following resolution was adopted by the Presbytery, with an addition moved by Mr. Entrican, that burials shall cease entirely in 1915:— 'That this Presbytery considers that the bill now before the Parliament promoted by the Auckland City Council for taking over the control of the Symondsstreet cemeteries, is open to objection on the ground that it alters the restrictions which have been in force since 1886 under the Act of 1882, for the automatic closing of these cemeteries, and which gives the right of burial to those only having the relationship to parties buried there before that time, of wife, husband, parent, brother, sister or child; while the present bill proposes after 1909 to allow only the burial of a widow or widower of at least fifty years of age whose husband or wife, as the case may be, has been buried there. The Presbytery is of the opinion that whatever may be the case in regard to crowding, etc., in the cemeteries .on the eastern side of Symonds-street, such a statement would not apply to the Presbyterian cemetery on the western side, ■'Thile the present regulations are having the effect intended, of diminishing the burials from year, to year, towards the ultimate closing of the ground. It is therefore unnecessary that they should be altered in this particular cemetery; but if uniformity be insisted on for all the cemeteries at this point, then any alteration should be confined to the omission of the word 'child' and allowing the others to stand. The Presbytery, while not objecting to the City Council assuming control of this cemetery with reasonable restrictions, considers that any appearance of. harshness should bo avoided, and due regard and cbnsideration should be given to the very natural wish on the part of old settlers to be interred near to those who had been closely related to in life." It was further agreed to forward this resolution to the Mayor and to the Church Trustees of Wellington.