THE CREMATORIUM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 641, 19 October 1909, Page 8

THE CREMATORIUM.

: -.: .■.-.;.-y :\-,:■.,.,,.>,' .-; ■■-' : -': :.-.■'■ .■;; I ; some aspects' of the system. ■: ; AVILL THE COST BE PROHIBITIVE ?■ It is'now two weeks ,since the Crematorium ,at Karori Cemetery; was completed; and placed ■at the disposal of tho .public under'certain conditions ombodicdin a special by-law adopted ; by the Wellington .City Council for the proper observance of ■ such/arrangements a.s : experience in the conduct of; crematoria elsewhere has .demonstrated to bo desirable in the interests ;of all concerned;. No; applications, have . yet been'made for the use of the Crematorium. Tradition and. sentiment' must, of course, be expected to; influence tho public mind to a very ■considerable, extent on.;.the question .of tion..T.- earth- burial,- These are. accepted factore ■Mff" the Question.- But there', is another tactor,;which.may. hasten or prolong, according; to.its.condition, the.extinotion ofthepublio prejudices., against cremation. That factor is the

■■.;■■■■•■ :Is Cremation Too' Costly? ■' ■-~ According_to a statement made to'a representativeof . T nE ;ioHraio N '- by. the £an?gjr ?n w,f i noWa *i. firm of Mral undertakers in Wellington the cost for arranging for obsequies'at the Crematorium underthe' couth* °™, P r SCn -i d - adopted by tne.City ,Council is likely to be prohibitive • Jin^""" } n.?- lo °^ tho offin . or shell-there will 'be an additional expenditure of somethinE like £2 105.," he said, 14a Tthl councils, now by-law-insists that 'metal nails must not be used' in the' construction of coffins intended, for use in' funerals, at' the wooden pegs being sufficient and preferable. That means dovetailing the wood-work-increased, cost-.bf. construction As 9 a ""tt". °ji?? t " n ??sS; t J! e Publicwill still insist M°ntetaul embellishments for casquets, and the .attachment of these will be difficult, if nails or'tacks., are prohibited. Here, you have more S'Usmvaww-the extra half-guinea m £Hf} fe J/.. f °r..,th«. by-law, insists upon-two medi<aUcertifirates,:;one' from the medical man. who, .attended■ deceased at'■ the last,illness,' and. the other,from abscond.medical man appointed : to act as-medical referee. ■ ' . '••-.- v""^f;s\ paT P°^ s . , ot <»niparison,". he .continued;' let-us consider the cost• of a'qnietlvS d tastefully, :.but not pretentiously.. furnished, . hearse . and "'three mourning, coaches, .everything, on ' a ■. modest 'n,.fact-u n der either system,- For sn ,earth-bnnal;;tho -total- coat of the interment .would be something like £W; for a cremiUon rt.'aiSht be anything:, from £15 to ' - I ..-. Lastly, he concluded, "I do not. think- the' clergy are altogether in' favour of condnctini? sernces.at'the Crematorinm." , v .' ■ •

;.;! -> ■ : V;, , .A, Different View. ■■•-.. .;. .v,, ■ m Th^'. f n rt goiiig 'pqinfe ; ? rB 'submitted to 'Mr.' .'}• f\- cityensfkieer, for, an opinion. Mr .Morton.scouted the' suggestion that funerals.at the Crematorium would be more costly than; under..the older, system.-. The'by-law hid been-.-fra^ma'ccordanVf.'with the best principlesjaid down, by -modern authorities; and hecertainly.conld.not accept the'.idca- that the cost .-of cremation ...would' be considerably in.creased, by- the, .operation •. of certain clauses Tα *tX A { l IV& lf. : 9*»atlin, Society in England, was that the system was , in nrac | ; : The Church and,: Cremation, ''\ .- '■- The religions astiect of : cremation' ic ciiW far J °\ ns Presb^">n thai so .menu of hu denomination ■^γ: didaot janctio^rS.