PROPOSED NEW CEMETERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9307, 9 March 1889, Page 5

PROPOSED NEW CEMETERY.

At St. George's Hall lost night Mr. J. A. Connell addressed a meeting upon the advantages of a new and more convenient site for a cemetery at Cox's Creek than the present municipal burial-ground at Waikomiti. Mr. Ainbury was voted to the chair. There was an attendance of about 50. Mr. Connkll explained his scheme, and stated, in the first jjilaee, that he appeared before them not as a politician or a public benefactor but solely as a business man. It was purely a business proposal he was making. When he came to Auckland some years aco he had been struck by the very unsuitable position and aspect of the Waikomiti cemetery, which was in the middle of a miserable and howling wilderness. All those lie spoke to agreed with him that the Waikomiti cemetery was a huge blunder, but»they would not move a finger to remedy it. lie had gone round looking for a good site, and he had found many most beautiful spots, particularly about Epsom. It was impossible, however, to have the cemetery there, owing to the cry about polluting the Western Springs. He had then fixed on a place where there was no prejudice about the contamination of the Western Springs, namely, just across the bridge at Cox's Creek. [Mr. Connell pointed out the position of the section on a plan.] He had made arrangements for provisionally securing the land from the owners. The question for the meeting now to consider was whether a cemetery there would be a great public convenience or the reverse. Mr. Connell them gave some account of the various provisions in the Cemeteries Act.and explained that if the scheme progressed they would have to get a private Bill passed through Parliament permitting the opening of the new cemetery. Air. Connell then dealt with various objections to the proposed site. One was that the city had gone to considerable expense (£'2774) in laying out the Waikomiti cemetery, and it would be a waste of money now to open another burialground to compete with it. His reply was that citizens were put to great expense in going to such a distant spot as Waikomiti, and this would eventually more than balance the expenditure by the Council. He also referred to the objection that the proposed cemetery would be objectionable on sanitary grounds, owing to the offensive smell. This was a fallacy, as if they buried a man seven feet deep in the earth there would be no smell whatever. He had asked Dr. Knight and Dr. Davy their opinion on the question, and they supported his view that a properlymanaged graveyard could in no case give rise to miasma or evil smells. It had been even stated in Germany that water from springs in a graveyard contained very little organic matter, and was often sought after on account of its purity. Another objection was that the Cemeteries Act provided that no cemeteries should be in a borough- but in their Enabling Bill _ they could ijct a clause inserted exempting them from this clause. There would be no harm in this, so long as they did not violate the spirit of the Act, in having the cemettry in a densely populated district. What they really had to do, however, was to carry all the people of Ponsouby and thft neighbourhood with them in support of the scheme. Mr. Connell then read the provisional prospectus, which set forth that the proposed Cemetery Company was to have a capital of £20,000 in 20,000 shares of £1 each, not more than 10s of which would need to be called up. The brokers were Messrs. J. A. Connell, Queen-street, and Vaile and Douglas, Shortlaud-street, from whom all information can be obtained. The property proposed to be purchased consisted of 37 acres, being part of allotments 7 and 8, section 9, suburbs of Auckland. The land is situated on the western side of Cox's Creek, just across the bridge, the price at which it is to be acquired being .£IBO an acre. Each acre was calculated to yield, after liberal provision for roads, £1270, made up as follows :—55 extra first-class sites, 16 feet by 10 feet, say at £10 each, equal to £550; 80 first first-class sites, 8 feet by 10 feet, say at £5 each, equal to £400; lOOsecondfirst-class sites, 4 feet by 8 feet, say at £2 each, equal to £320. Mr. Connell, continuing, said that any who gave in their names as applicants that evening, and applied to himself or to Vaile and Douglas on or before Wednesday next, would have the right of selecting their sites in the order of priority of their applications. He concluded by inviting criticisms of his scheme and questions from the audience, and resumed his seat amid considerable applause. Mr. Garratt asked how a capital of £20,000 was required for a cemetery of some 30 acres. Mr. Connell said 37 acres at £180 came to £66G0. The Waikomiti cemetery was a gift to the city, but had cost £2700. Reckoning the same expenditure for laying out the new cemetery, they had £9360 as the cost of the cemetery- getting the Bill through Parliament, and other expenses, would bring it up to £10,000, which would be the amount of their paid-up capital. Mr. CtArratt thought the area of the proposed site was far too small, and he was positive, and challenged contradiction, that never since the foundation of the city had funerals been so cheap as they were now. For 15s they could bury a person at Waikomiti for two years, and for 15s more they could have the right to the ground in perpetuity. Mr. Connell said lie was aware they proposed to charge a little more than the City Council, but then the site was very much nearer the city. As for the size of the ground, the number of burying sites would be 11,100, and, putting four people in each, there was accommodation for 44,400. Taking the average number of burials at Waikomiti as GOO a year, the cemetery would not need to be closed for 74 years. After some further discussion, Mr. Upton said he thought the meeting was very much obliged to Mr. Connell for the information he had laid before them. He was quite sure every person would agree with Mr. Connell when ne said it was a painful and distressing thing to go to the present cemetery at Waikomiti. As throwing light on the profitable nature of the scheme, he mentioned that the opening of the cemetery at St. John's College had been discussed at the late sitting of the General Synod, and the opinion" had been expressed that it would be a most profitable undertaking for the trust. He had also been told by Archdeacon Lingard that in Christchurch they had received £5000 for eight acres which had been open for 13 years, and were not fully occupied yet. Mr. Connell was strictly within the bounds when lie said it would be a handsomely paying speculation. Mr. Dines moved, " That it is desirable that this community should have another burial place than at Waikomiti," and to show his faith in the proposed company he put in an application.for 10 shares. Mr. Cuekry seconded the motion. He had opposed the Waikomiti cemetery all along; but he thought Mr. Connell's scheme was too heavily weighted. He was going to pay double the market value of the ground, and there were heavy extras. If they wanted to attract people, they should make low charges. (Applause.) It was absurd that a man should be charged pounds for a few feet of ground. The cost should not be more than a few shillings. (Applause.) Mr. Connell's site had the advantage of nearness to the city. He sympathised with the motion to have a new cemetery, butnotneeessarilyMr. Connell's proposed site. Mr. Connell said it was quite possible, and likely, that the prices would be lowered. He had fixed the prices on what he thought a commercial footing, but they were merely suggestions. The motion was put and carried unanimously. Mr. Dtnes then moved, " That this meeting approve of the proposed site." The resolution was seconded and carried unanimously (only a few voting, however). A cordial vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Connell for bringing the question before the meeting, and a vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.