A PUBLIC MORGUE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11540, 29 March 1898, Page 6

A PUBLIC MORGUE.

The long-vexed question of the erection of a public morgue for the city was again discussed by the City Council at its meeting last night, when the Eeserves Comr mittee reported that, after having carefully •reconsidered the subject, it again strongly recommended the erection of the building •on the bank of the river, behind the •Chester Street fire brigade station. The ■committee .considered the Council’s sectio-i on the South -Belt not sufficiently central , for the purpose. Councillor Kincaid, chairman of the .committee, moved the adoption of the report. , Councillor Morris, who seconded the ; motion, said that Mr Dale, the owner of •the adjoining ’ section, did ; not. object, neither did the parties, interested in the Oxford Hotel. The only objection came from 'certain, members of the Fire Brigade, ; who Were moving through their committee. ! The proposed building would be 60ft from ' the ;nearest corner of the Fife Brigade station, 60ft from the Oxford Hotel and 69ft from Colombo Street. ... Councillor Gray strongly opposed the proposal, and suggested that the site on the South Belt would be much more suitable in everyway. . He denied that: the members of the Fire Brigade had, endeavoured to get the committee to oppose the erection of the morgue. He pointed out that the passing of a local Bill through Parliament would be a matter of considerable expense, even if the Bill were not opposed, winch it probably would be. Councillors Payling and Smith also opposed the site proposed, the latter stating that he would get up a petition against it.

Councillor Samuels did not think that the morgue should be either on the river bank or the South Belt, and suggested the public cemetery as a fitting site for it. The report received support from Councillor Loughnan, who did not see that the morgue could be a nuisance to anybody if put on the site proposed, and thought that there .was much force in the argument that it should be on a central site. Councillor Kincaid informed the Council that the number of cases in which the morgue would be required averaged about a dozen a year. Councillor Woods thought that those who wished "to erect the morgue in the centre of the city were actuated by a desire to afford' medical men conveniences for conducting experiments on corpses. Councillor Andrews supported the committee, and pointed out that in Birmingham there were three morgues in the heart of the city. He said that in the last three years 'only' eight bodies had been taken to hotels in Christchurch; • Councillor Sorensen announced , that his opinion on the subject had changed; he had formerly opposed the central site, now he would support it. He did not see how the morgue could be a nuisance to anyone, and thought,'for sanitary reasons, that the erection should be no longer delayed. , . , Councillor Saudstein, like Councillor Sorensen, now supported what he had formerly opposed, and pointed out that a morgue conducted with proper precautions need not be either ugly or offensive. Councillor Prudhoe, who had formerly opposed the river-bank site, did so again, and remarked that the fact that Colombo Street bridge would have to be widened on account of increasing traffic, especially showed that the sse was unsuitable. He preferred the Soiith Belt site. ■ Councillors Stapleton' and Hamilton upheld the proposal of the committee, and said that they did not see how anyone’s comfort could be interfered with, and that there was only one person who had property adjoining, and he was not opposed to iti The report of the Works Committee was carried by eight votes to six, and Councillor Cray gave notice of a motion for rescinding it. _ ■ .0