COST OF CEMETERIES

Evening Star, Issue 19856, 3 May 1928, Page 6

COST OF CEMETERIES

CITY COUNCIL LOSING MONEY DEBIT OF NEARLY £3,000 That the City Council was losing considerably on the maintenance of the cemeteries of Dunedin was pointed out at a meeting of that body last night. Discussion on the matter arose through the presentation of the following clause in the report of tho Reserves Committee ; “ That in view of and to meet the increased expenditure on cemeteries, the existing scale of charges for the sale of allotments, burial fees, aud keeping seltions in order be abolished, and the following increased charges bo adopted in lien thereof:— SALE OF ALLOTMENTS. Old Scale. New Scale.

Cr Mitchell, in moving the adoption of the committee’s report, said the proposed charges might cause some controversy. It might interest them to know that during the past few years the Northern and Southern Cemeteries had cost them something like £7OO in excess of receipts. The position would become worse if something were not done with the charges. The committee had proposed increased charges, but they were, of course, subject to tho creation of a by-law. Cr Clark seconded the motion for tho adoption of the report. Cr Hayward moved, as an amendment, that tho clause relating to the cemetery charges be referred back to the committee for consideration. He moved this because he thought little time had been given to the matter. Unfortunately, only three members of the committee were present, three members being away, and no doubt the charges went through without sufficient consideration. Cr Scott seconded the amendment. Cr Mitchell said the committee was quite willing to take the clause back. The proposal was a tentative one, ami subject to revision. Cr Scott said that to have a grave looked after for all time for £25 seemed to be nominal. At 5 per cent, that amount would give 25s a year. They should bo able to do the work for 15s. He thought it a wrong principle to commit the council for the rest of this evolution for £25. Cr Campbell said the council should devise a scheme which would bo equitable both to poor and rich alike. Anderson’s Bay Cemetery was in a. better state than the Northern and Southern Cemeteries because it_ was a newer cemetery and the relatives of most of those buried there wore alive and able to care for them. Cr Clark said he thought the council should have some idea of the reasons that actuated the committee in making the recommendation. He wanted to point out that such charges could only become operative when a by-law was passed, and the report was only an indication that the committee was quite satisfied that something should he done to revise the fees. The fees had not been revised for some tame. The Finance Committee had been gicatly concerned over the cemetery accounts. The income they were petting had to be looked upon as capital. The only income was from the sale of plots, but in respect of the Northern and Southern Cemeteries that source of income had absolutely disappeared. The figures for 1928 for the Northern and Southern Cemeteries showed that the income was £sll 4s Bel, while tnfl outlay was £1,215 2s 4d, making a loss of £703 17s Bd. Wages alone amounted to £992, or £lßl more than was actually received. The amount for the two 1 cemeteries showed :x debit or £2,874, and that was for the last four years only. The surplus had been completely wiped out. The Anderson’s Bay Cemetery fund was not in a very much better position, for, while tho total income for the sale of plots was £1,999, they had spent £1.849 there, including wages of £1,596. Thus there was only a surplus of £149. Tho debit balance at the end of the year in respect to the three cemeteries was £2,005 16s Bd. They would realise that unless something were clone to create a special fund the cemeteries would become more and more of a burden, and might become in a deplorable _ condition. There was a wrong impression abroad that the cemeteries were a. fine paying thing for the council. While the council did not want te make a profit, it did not want the cemeteries to become a burden on tho ratepayers more than was necessary. Cr Begg asked what became of (be money received in tho purchase of plots ‘ Extra first-class lots brought Is Cd a. foot, which should show a very good profit. That Is fid a foot had been paid for forty or fifty years. The Town Clerk: “It has gone in wanes and maintenance.” The amendment proposed by Cr Hayward was carried.

Third-class 0 x i I'rcc. Fee. Second-class 8x4 1 in 0 2 0 First-class 8 x 10 3 10 0 HO Extra first-class ,.. 16 x 10 £12 0 0 £15 0 0 fl 0 KEEPING SECTIONS IN ORDER. For one year—second-class 7 ii fl 10 For one year—first-class ... 0 12 0 0 IS For all time £25 0 0 £25 0 0 0 0 BURIAL FEES. .Sunday Ices 0 15 0 I 0 Extra'depth over lift (per fl) 0 5 0 0 7 Under ten years of afj« ... 1 5 fl I 12 A bow tea years of bra ... £2 10 0 £3 12 0 6 0 0