CITY CREMATORIUM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 88, 7 January 1908, Page 6

CITY CREMATORIUM.

o TENDERS CALLED FOR. ;■ - The City Council is calling for tenders, for tho erection of a city crematorium at tho Karori Cemotery. Specifications of requirements may be obtained, from-the City Engineer's office upon payment of a fee of ten shillings, and tenders will be' received up till 4 p.m. on Thursday, April .9. Now that a definite step has been taken to establish a crematorium, it is interesting to recall how the movement was initiated in Wellington. For many years past such, an accessory to tho city was considered a contingency of the future, for when.tho Karori Cemetery was being laid out, a . section of land was' set asido for the purpose or a crematorium, and has been prosorved up to date for that purpose. Nothing, however, was done until tho advent' in'.■Wellington, in July, 1906, of Miss Studholme (daughter of the late Mr. John Studholme, of South Canterbury). This young lady had been in England for some years making a stud.y of hygiene' under tlio auspices of tho National Health Society. Bofore leaving on a trip to Now Zealand, Miss Studholino was asked to do her best to forward tho establishment of crematoria in New Zealand, and it was Wellington slio selected for ,her fiold of activity. She interested the Mayor and several leading citizens in tho movement, with tho result that a subscription list was circulated amongst a limited set, arid met with a'fair amount of support. Miss Stndholmo contributed handsomely, and several months after tho Council decided to subscribe tho balance of what was needed. Thero has been a good deal of delay owing to certain difficulties' encountered in securing working plans of the most approved furnaces, but this has now been overcome, and before the end of tho next term people will doubtless have the option of disposing of their dead by, incineration or burial.Tho -main objections that are -raised against cremation at tho presont day aro based on sentimental or religious grounds, but its advocates , contend that the ultimate effects of oi'cmation and earth burial aro the same. In earth burial the ultimate dissolution of the body into its componont eloments may tako a year- or many years to. accomplish, according to the nature of the ground whero tho body is buried, whereas by incinoration the same'products aro formed in as many hours. These products are largely gaseous, and whereas in cremation special provision is made to completely burn them up without offence, in earth burial they pollute tho soil and escape into the general atmosphere.

Thoso on tho look-out for fnrn:?, dairying, pastoral, or agricultural, should not overlook the exceptional opportunity of acquiring a suitable holding, which is opened up by tho impending subdivision of tho Marnmnnga Estate, Akitio. Messrs. Ilandysidc, Koberts and Co. are cutting up altogether 36.C00 acres, which area will bo converted into twenty-two blocks, of from SSO to 1720 acres each, adequately watered, while nearly ovory subdivision is ring-fenced. Tlio sale takes placo in the Town Hall, Wellington, on Wednesday, January 15, and tho terms are said to bo most easy. The advertisement, which appoars from time to time in this paper, furnishes full in-foiv-jtian.