A CREMATION SOCIETY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIII, Issue 13783, 23 June 1905, Page 2

A CREMATION SOCIETY.

STEPS TO FORM ONE IN CHRISTCHURCH. Dr Russell's proposals in regard to cremation are that steps _ should _ be taken to form a Cremation Society representing the whole' of New Zealand, with crematoriums _ at Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. When the scheme has been taken up Parliament will be asked.'to give the society power to have the crematoriums erected in the different districts. He told a reporter yesterday that ho was sure that when the public were educated up to tho idea they would find that cremation was not such a repugnant thing as many people thought. It was proposed to hold a public meeting, after the scheme had been advanced a little, so that the full scope might be disclosed. He has a great deal of literature on the subject. Among his papers are several pamphlets from England and other countries, describing modern crematoriums, and giving ilustrations of them. The temples, he said to the reporter, will be handsome and imposing buildings. They will have galleries all around them, on the same principle, _ practically, ns the galleries in a library. Along the galleries there would ho niches, which would hold tho receptacles that contained the remains of the deceased persons, who could he represented by portraits as well as by name. Re regarded Christc'r.urch as being especially in of a crematorium, "as the city could never ] )0 drained successfully where there were, so many old cemeteries in a Sat area. There were the Jewish Cemetery in Hereford Street, the the Wesleyan and Catholic Cemeteries in Barb ad ccs Street, the Linwood Cemetery and the Svdonham Cemetery. If Christchurch had any cemeteries at all thev ought to be on tho top of the Port Hills, "and in such a position that the drainage would run into the sea, instead of contaminating the water used by tho citizens. He had already received a great deal of encouragement to persevere with the movement, and, although the definite announcement had appeared only that morning, letters had been sent to him promising support.