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Evening Star, Issue 11682, 14 February 1902, Page 4

Wk are afraid that the promoters of the local Cremation Society canCrematUn. TK>t *» ver ? cou gratulated upon the extent

of progress that their cause has made during the past twelve months. Indeed, to be candid, there is ground for a good deal of disappointment. Not only was the attendance at the annual meeting last night limited to about a dozen members, but there seems to have been an almost entire lack of energetic movement and proselytising zeal on the part of the society during this lirst year of existence. Mr Holland's memorable address was an ex silent start, and subsequently something was done to engage the interest and aid of the City Council; but enthusiasm—active enthusiasm, at all events—soon began to coo', and there was only a poor story to tell last night. Is it « case of that early an<i inexplicable blight which falls upon so many promising movements in Dunedin V We are heartily in sympathy with tho objects of the society, and more than once we have endeavored to show the reasonableness and desirabilitv of the practice of cremation in place of the unseemly burial customs that still prevail; but we are under the spell of no illusions as to the immediate prospects of the movement. Its progress will only be at snail's pace if the promoters do not think it worth while to enjßase irij activei ■work .oi -a ..neraaasive and

argumentative kincL In one way rod another the fact of the socieiy's eriatence should continually be brought before the public—whereas, as matters are, the fact seems to have been carefully concealed for months together. The masses of the population have yet to be won over, and the task will be a slow one in any dreamstances, but it will be almost hopeless in the absence of proselytising activity. The society's list of office-bearers indicates that the movement is well supported by members of the learned professions, but it is the deep-seated prejudices and superstitions of the less cultured classes that have to be overcome. Literature should be freely circulated, and meetings frequently held, and something like a continuous attempt made to convince the people as to the cleanliness, safety, and seemliness of cremation, and the filtiiiness, peril, and gener.il odiousness of the present burial system. It will be noticed that Mr Justice Williams is president of the society—dearly showing that His Honor attaches no importance to the alleged dangers of cremation from a legal point of view. In fact, some of the most distinguished English Judges (including Barons Br.*well and Huddleston) have given the movement the most practical support that lay in their power—the ultimate personal testimony, so to speak—by directing that their own bodies should be cremated. The insanitary effect* of the present burial system should catwe all intelligent municipal workers to be cremationists, and -we are surprised to hear that nost of the new councillors returned last April ora understood to be hostile I<i tho r.icvement. Lot the society bring tlw matter bpforc the City Council again, and force these councillors to make public profession of their faith in the time-honored prejudices. Wo are glad to see tuat the clergy are well represented in the society, for semi-religious superstition is mainly responsible in many cases for the unintelligent tenacity with which people cling to tbo idea of a polluted grave in preference to a clean one; and these ignorant notions ought to bo corrtcted from the pulpit. It is almost inconceivablfc that in the twentieth century the practice of cremation should be supposed to imperil the prospect of a glorious resurrection to eternal life; but the deplorable fact cannot be questioned. Tho philanthropic Lord Shaftesbury gave these superstitious materialists a nut to crack when ho asked: " What about the "blessed martyrs who passed away in the "torment-robe of frame?" We conclude by expressing a hope that .our local Cremation Society will display more activity during tho coming year than has been observaole during the.past. They have an end in view which we venture to regard as both good and great; but it cannot be attained by what may be termed hand-folding methods.