PUREWA CEMETERY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22540, 3 October 1936, Page 17

PUREWA CEMETERY

Sir, —The footnote to my letter confirming the report by the chairman of the sub-committee of St. John's College that sheep are to be run in the burial area will be received with dismay and indignation. Can this be the same board that displayed the notice by the cemetery gates, with the inscription: "This is Cod's acre, show respect to the graves of the dead." What respect will be shown to the memory of very loved ones by allowing a mob of sheep to wander among the graves? We remember the protests made last year concerning the spread of daisies and weeds in the cemetery, but I suggest that if the men engaged in the erection of fences for weeks past, in addition to several extra men for a few weeks in spring had been utilised, a good start would have already been made in dealing with the problem. Is the board so short of funds that it cannot give some assistance to many worthy men needing work even for a few weeks, rather tnan attempting to do the job with sheep. The suggestion that guards are to be placed round those graves that are cared for, is just in line with the whole proposal, the work in doing this would be tremendous. While it is admitted that many graves in the older section are sadly neglected, this certainly does not apply in the newer portion of the cemetery; in this part it is the exception to see neglected plots. With low concrete walls, grass plots, flowers, glass tokens—seen on all hands—the work of erecting guards would be a tremendous undertaking. The whole thing, in my opinion, is illconceived and merits strong protests. C. A. French.