CEMETERY CHARGES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3869, 8 May 1928, Page 7

CEMETERY CHARGES.

PROPOSED INCREASE DISCUSSED. REFERRED BACK TO COMMITTEE. With the object of meeting the increased civic expenditure on cemeteries, thi Reserves Committee of the City Council submitted to last week’s meeting a scale of increased cemetery charges which it recommended for adoption. After the question had been discussed and a detailed statement had been made by Ci’ Clark, it was decided to refer back to the committee the clause in its report containing the proposed scale. In moving the adoption of the Reserves Committee report, Cr Mitchell drew attention to the clause dealing with cemetery charges, and said that many would be surprised to learn that the Northern and Southern Cemeteries had cost, during the last few years £7OO a year in excess of the revenue. Unless a change was made, this loss would probably be accentuated, and in the special circumstances the suggested scale had been submitted. He wished to make jt clear that-it was open for alteration or amendment.

Cr Clark seconded the motion. INSUFFICIENT CONSIDERATION. ■ Cr C. 11. Hayward moved that the clause be referred back to the committee for further consideration. He did so because he thought that very little time had been given by the committee to the question. He understood! that only three members were present when it had been discussed, and no doubt it had gone through without sufficient consideration. Cr Scott seconded Cr Hayward’s amendment.

Cr Mitchell: The clause is just a femporary one, and is subject to revision. Cr Scott added that a charge of £25 for looking after a grave for all time was an anomaly, because the amount produced at 5 per cent., 25s per annum, and according to the schedule the work would be carried out at 15s per annum. Cr Campbell said that a scheme that would be applicable to poor and rich alike was wanted. He referred to the beauty of the Anderson’s Bay Cemetery, and said that it was only necessary to turn to the Cemetery to see the state into which such a place could get. The whole question was one to which a great deal of thought had to be given.

A DETAILED REVIEW. Cr Clark said he thought that it would be wise to lefer the clause back to the committee. The cemetery fees were revised in 1921, and since that date the existing scale ' of charges had been in operation. The fact that the receipts in respect of the sale of plots and other charges in connection with the cemeteries were muhe below the actual cost of conducting the cemeteries had prompted the committee to bring forward a proposal to increase the charges. It was recognised that such a scale of charges must em brace not only sufficient to cover the present yearly maintenance, because a very large part of the inocme arose from the sale of plots, which was somewhat m the nature of a capital payment, and go viously there was a time when that part of the yearly income must diminish and finally disappear. The aim of the com mittee was therefore to create a fund that would be available for the proper maintenance of a cemetery from and after the time that all the available plots had been disposed of. That time was last approaching in both the Northern and ‘he Southern Cemeteries ; indeed, it had pro > ably already arrived in respect of the northern area. This fact was fullv established by a perusal of the cemetery figures. For the year ended March, 1928, the inocmo from the Northern and Southern Cemeteries, taken together, wa? £5ll 4s Bd, while the outlay was £1215 Is 4d, or a loss for the year of £703 17s Bd. Wages alooe accounted for £992,. >r £4Bl more than the income. The account for these two cemeteries stood at a debit of £2874 16s lid, which had resulted m the past four years’ working. That was to say that the total surplus that stood to the credit of these two cemeteries, m

eluding the sale of plots, had been extin guished, and a debit of £2874 had been ertated in four years. The only prospect for the future on the present scale >i charges was that this debit would go an increasing at the rate of several hundred pounds a year; that was if the citizens were to maintain the cemeteries in the condition they certainly should. The position regarding the Anderson’Bay Cemetery was. having regard to the varying conditions regarding the sale of plots, in no better case. Last year the total income, including the sale of plots, totalled £1999 6s Id, while the outgo amounted to £1849 17s 2d, of which wages represented £1596. The surplus for the year was therefore £149 8s lid. The debit balance to-day for the combined cemeteries account was £2005 16s Bd, and unless something was done to increase the fees to allow of the creation of a fund to provide for the maintenance of uhe cemeteries when the time came that no income was available from the sale if plots, a very heavy burden would await the council at that time. PROPOSAL REFERRED BACK.

Cr Begg said he did not altogether agree with Cr Clark. He wished to know what had become of the whole of the money spent on allotments, for the first-class allotments worked out at Is 6d a foot. This was a good profit, especially when it was remembered that the Northern and Southern Cemeteries were originally part of the Town Belt, and that the land had not cost a penny. This profit had been taken for 40 years. What had become of the money? A Councillor: It’s gone in wages. Cr Begg: There must have been a lot of maintenance. The point" is that some provision must be made for the anuual maintenance of graves. There is no doubt that a great deal of property could have been purchased, at that price, in the heart of f city. Past mistakes would have to be rectified.

In reply to Cr Begg, Cr Mitchel said that the question could not be answered offhand, but the Is 6d referred to was capital expenditure, and, in his opinion, could not be taken into cousideratiou in relation to the upkeep. The amendment moved by Cr HaywartP was carried, and the clause was referred back to the committee.