CEMETERY NEEDS
NO KARORI EXTENSION
IS CREMATION SOLUTION ?
The refusal of the Minister of Internal Affairs to promote legislation to empower the City Council to utilise an area of 25 acres adjoining Karori Cemetery for cemetery purposes raises the question of opening another city cemetery. Inquiries made to-day show that so far nothing definite has been decided as to the site for a new cemetery. It is necessary that ample space should be provided. Those who visit Karori are surprised at the. dimensions of this city .of the . dead,'and, though there is. a'definite increase in tlTe preference for cremation, it is so gradual that it is: certain that another huge cemetery will be filled beforo public opinion has greatly changed in this respect. In 1924% there were 44 cremations, in 1925 60,. in 1926,47.. In the twelve months ending March, 1930 there were ..90, in the next twelve 95 X and in the;eight months ending 30th November. 1932, 78. Despite occasional fluctuations, it will be seen that the cremations show a fairly steady ■■' increase, though they represent only a small percentage of. the ordinary interments. Ordinary'burials for .the eight monthß ending last November were 638, but these showed a-,big drop on former years. For' the twelvemonths ending on 31st March, 1931, the number was 1179. '-....■■ Will there come a time when cremations equal or exceed burials? Sentimeiit, and mr some-cases religious beliefs, eause:many of the objections to cremation, and in such,matters there: can be no compulsion. Cremations are, however, even now cheaper than burials, and in the course of time the distances to be travelled by funeral corteges, with the resultant additional expense, may cause a change in' public opinion. Few suburbs are anxious to secure the next cemetery, which'may be larger even than Karori, yet in the interests of relatives who tend graves, long pilgrimages, which occupy both time and money, should," if possible, be avoided. The hope was expressed to a "Post" reporter to-day that the new cemetery would be on a tram route, or1 in somedistrict where a tramway extension would be possible by theJtime it came into full use. ■
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19321221.2.166
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 149, 21 December 1932, Page 17
Word Count
353CEMETERY NEEDS Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 149, 21 December 1932, Page 17
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