CEMETERY CHARGES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22023, 4 August 1933, Page 7

CEMETERY CHARGES

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The discussion in the City Council on the question of cemetery charges reveals a desplorable attitude on the part of nine councillors. It behoves the citizens to sit up and take notice. When a question of justice is brought before them they decide that justice does not count as compared with safeguarding money interests. Could there be a clearer statement of the immoral supremacy of the money interest than that given by Cr MTndoe, if he is correctly reported? It is to be observed that it is not a question of obtaining more money for the cemeteries, but of the equitable distribution, of their cost. Cr MTndoe admits that the charges are not justifiable from the point of view of equity—i.e., in this instance, justice between citizen and citizen —but contends that finance must overrule justice. The position amounts to this: The council has a monopoly—its customers are compelled by law to buy its goods; they can be squeezed to pay not only for what they get, but also for services which are not rendered to them individually but to the whole of the citizens. So the council says, “ squeeze them.” This is all the more reprehensible in that those who are bereaved are very averse to raising any objection to the charges made. One can understand that certain immoral ghouls would be ready to prey upon the bereaved in this fashion, but that a body of supposedly reputable men who have been elected to administer the affairs of the citizens without fear or favour should lend themselves to such a policy, is to me incomprehensible.—l am, etc., J. Douglas Smith. Roslyn, August 3.