FUNERAL CUSTOMS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17095, 18 February 1916, Page 4

FUNERAL CUSTOMS.

TENDENCY TO CUT DOWN EXPENSES. POSITION IX AUCKLAND. Mr H. W. Bishop's recent comment upon the tendency of some people nowadays to order funerals of so expensive a kind that they are unable to pay for them, attracted attention in Auckland. Inquiries wore made to ascertain whether his strictures could with justice he applied to Auckland citizens. Apparently they could not. The vicar of one of the largest city parishes said that, in his experience the general tendeucy was not to indulge in expensive funerals. He had certainly not noticed it in his parish. At the same time, he had known cases of people ordering tombstones oil the instalment plan, and being crippled for years by the payment. Expenses in connection with funerals were very large, and, ho thought, should be limited. In the past twenty years he had found people inclined to lessen the funeral expenses; there was a great desire for decent burial, and he knew of old age pensioners who saved all they could to avoid being buried as paupers. Motor funerals were not ordered from a desire to make a display—he was convinced of that —and in many cases they were less costly than the cab funerals.

That expensive funerals in Auckland during the last few years have been less frequent, than they used to be was the opinion expressed by a leading undertaker. Where some years ago six or seven mourning coaches were, asked for in an average funeral order, the number was now reduced to two or three coaches. One reason why motor funerals were less costly than those of the old type was explained. Drivers of the motor vehicles wore able to leave them and act as carriers, thus obviating driving four extra men to the cemetery. When cabs were employed, the drivers could not leave their seats. ‘ ; There 'was a time when some people would pay for anything else but a funeral,” declared the undertaker. ‘‘To-day there are more who insist upon paying for a funeral whatever else may go unpaid. Some people still like to make a little show, hut they are in a minority. Some years ago 1 knew cf oases in which people in a poor financial position, having death in the familyl would order ail elaborate and expensive funeral for the sake of impressing their tradespeople, and thus obtain an extension of credit. In the end they would disappear from tho city. But that sort of thing was rare, and does not seem to be practised now. The opinion was expressed by the undertaker that there ought to he some class of funeral between tlie ordinary one and that accorded to paupers. It pressed hardly, he said, on people of small means t-o have to face tho cost of an ordinary funeral for a relative who died after a long and consequently expensive illness. The general customs amongst all classes of the Jewish community, which is of interest in this connection, is to have the funerals conducted on the most simple and inexpensive lines. They consider that for a coffin four deal boards, just sufficient to contain the body, and a plain inscription of simplest form, are all that is necessary. In the mat ter "of tombstones, choice and cost are optional, but it is stated that as a rule stones of lesser value and ornamentation than thoso chosen by the members of the Christian community arc selected.