Page 2 Advertisements Column 6

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 126, 31 May 1910, Page 2

THE LAST RITES. ♦ AN UP-TO-DATE UNDERTAKING BUSINESS. There is always the best way to do everything ; that there are Qthers is unfortunate, but they do exist as everyone knows. Toe necessary business of undertaking the solemn last rites to those near and dear is an important one, uitd that it should be done in the best and most expeditious manner, consistent with that reverence for the dead inborn in the race, is. beyond all question. With some such thoughts a reporter called in at the establishment of !Mr. E Morris, of Taranaki-street, seeking knowledge that is usually screened from the world. That he was. agreeably surprised by the methods employed is expressing his feelings mildly. There, in the new brick buildings, (on the site occupied so long by the firm) is a mortuary chapel, which is, used nearly ev-eiy day. There is accommodation for twenty or .thirty people, and a raited dais, with lectern for the use of the clergyman, should tho relatives desire a -short service prior t-o the funeral. The advantage of this is that in manj cases when strangers to Wellington die here, friends and relatives at a distance are often nonplussed ■what to do. This is where Mr. E. Morris may be of service. It only needs a word, and all is done that- should be done. There are patterns of caskets kept on the premises, from the highly polished oak or rimu to the plain black clothcovered type. The polished casket is much, preferred in tlieso times,, and that they are now within easy reach is* proved by the fact that they can be obained for the price people were asked to pay for those covered in black cloth ten years ago. Caskets may be obtained in polished oak, walnut, kauri, rimu, or any other English, American, or New Zealand wood, and may be chastely elaborated with most artistic fittings, of which there is an extensive range to select from. A peep into the factory shows, the resources of this up-to-date firm. Every device necessary for turning out the best work on the shortest notice is provided. The machinery, the whole of which is driven by electricity, includes a "Robinson" planing machine that will plane from on-e-eignth of an inch to eight inches ; a sandpapering machine, which coni tains a fan for the disposal of dust, which othenviee might clog the machine, and a boring and a buffing (polishing) machine for dealing with metal plates. Perhaps the most ingenious machine is an American engraving machine, by which the-plate-engraving is done. Any-sized letter can be engraved on metal by tracing with an attached needle a set pattern of letters belonging to the machine. As the lines and curves of the letter are traced they are repeated mchanically on the plate above. A clever adjuster increases or diminishes the size of 'the letter, without altering the pattern. ; Below is the stable and hearse-house — a model of cleanliness and order. Mr. E. Morris has a splendid equipment in this regard. Vehicles of every description are kept, from the impressive dresshearse, with embossed-glass sides, and surmounted by" draped urns, which is drawn by fourhorses, adorned with valuable plumes of black ostrich feathers, to the comfortable mourning coach. Landaus are also kept on the premises, for the convenience of clients. Each horse has its own stall, with its name over the feed-box, and each of the drivers a cupboard where his black livery and silk hat are kept. That Mr. Morris keeps right up to date is evidenced by the interest he is taking in cremation. One of the first to recognise the value of cremation, he devised a small casket — since perfected — in which the ashes of a deceased person ; may be kept in tke home, the church, or below the ground. Mr. Morris believes that cremation will slowly become more popular as a means of disposing of the dead as the people get used to the idea, and already he has had an indication of what the trend in the matter might be. In the case of a stranger dying in Wellington, it might be found to be very mconvenient and expensive to send the body a long journey/ whereas in cremation all that is mortal is reduced to a few ounces of ashes, which can be placed in a small polished oak, walnut, or rimu casket, and" sent to any part of the world at a trifling cost. These little caskets are beautifully made, and would hardly be out of place anywhere. A complete embalming plant is kept on the premises, and the finest selection of Parisian immortelles are stocked. No telephone call, to 937 is 100 late or too ■early.— Advt.