The Coffin Combine

NZ Truth, Issue 983, 27 September 1924, Page 1

The Coffin Combine

The Poor Dead An Excuse To Rob The Dead Poor ■ ■ ■ ■■'•■■' • • "Polished rimu casket, with nickel mountings, and conduction, £16." Such is an item m an undertaker's claim following the . burying of a' poor man. • ; .

i It i& not known what the rimu cost the undertaker, but at sixpence a foot the timber would be 15s and the v polishing at sixpence a foot would be another 15s. Allowing one day's work making the casket would make a total of £3, but as we don't want to be stingy about the tin trappings, put the total "cost of production" at a fiver. That leaves £11 as a fee for the "conduction," a, charge that should make the poor rather chary of "pegging out." "Conduction" is probably a term

peculiar to the profession, as "twiddling his dials" is with radio fans. Of course, other charges such as "motor sedans,", '.'interment fees," and advertising the undertaker account for an additional £5. "Motor sedans" is a gem, isn't it? It . is .time, that the undertakers were subjected to discipline, so that their Bill of Costs for planting deceased dads could be taxed before th'e Registrar on application by the mourning orphans. Is there any hope that the Board of Trade will investigate this profiteering?