REOPENING OF GRATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17269, 19 September 1919, Page 8

REOPENING OF GRATES.

: . ■■■■: ' ■?.'>•• i- -i'?f, ■-. =::;.-. As- J '-:;.." -. '-- ■ --■■lini • i -• . HEALTH OFFICER'S VIEWS. POWERS OF MtTNICIPALITIES. WIDER. SCOPE ADVOCATED. The question of the propriety of reopening graves in which persons who have "died of infectious diseases have been buried, wae considered by the City Council last evening. ' '. ! A memorandum from the town clerk : stated that the question had been raised |by the district health officer, who had ! suggested that graves should not he reopened until a stated period had elapsed, and that divisions in concrete between coffins should be made. The memorandum also seated that the powers el the council in the matter required to be •more clearly defined. An opinion was submitted by the city solicitor that in cases where the exclusive, right to burial in certain plots had been sold, he did not think the council would be entitled to forbid subsequent interments, either absolutely or Within a stated period after the burial, or to require a layer of concrete to be placed above the coffins of the first interments, or to deal with the question of the reopening of graves in the cases of deaths from infections or contagious diseases. The Public Services Committee recommended that Parliament be ap-reached with the view to vesting the fullest powers in the council in regard to the matter of burials. The recommendation was adopted by the council.