PROPOSED CREMATORIUM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 62, 16 March 1943, Page 3

PROPOSED CREMATORIUM

Sir, —I notice that the plans for a proposed crematorium have been prepared, and submitted to the Wanganui City Council for consideration. His Worship the Mayor, was reported as saying, that since the Wanganui City Council has become interested, other local bodies in the Dominion are pushing forward with crematorium projects. If this is the case, is it wise for us to be too hasty? Let us withdraw from the race for crematoriums, until some other centre erects an efficient one.

Some years ago, although there were thousands of efficient rubbish destructors in the world and also several in New Zealand, the council set out to build what was to be the most up-to-date rubbish destructor in New Zealand, but the finished article would not burn paper. Luckily for the ratepayers, the council did not proceed with the proposal to erect tepid swimming baths alongside the destructor, from whence the necessary heat was to be drawn for the bath. The expensive destructor was a dismal failure, and all the rubbish had to be taken to the tip, much to the delight of the rats, while the destructor building became a very accommodating, but a very expensive garage for city trucks. Let this be a sign-post to the present councillors. Allow the other centres to continue their race to build crematoriums, and let us profit by their experience. In our city the annual rates have Increased from 11 3-8 d in the pound in 1935-36, to 163 d in the pound in 194243. Perhaps this is the answer to What is wrong with Wanganui. However, the ratepayers don’t want the council to embark on a building programme, with the present high costs.

At the recent annual conference of master builders grave concern was expressed at the increasing high cost of building, while the Wellington Hospital Board’s experience should make the council pause and consider, before rushing into building at the present time. Nine months ago the Wellington Hospital Board received a tender for £13,357, to build a 210-bed emergency block, and now, carried out under Defence Construction Regulations, it would cost £36,830, or approximate!) £1750 per room. Based on this experience, had our proposed crematorium been considered even nine months ago, it could have been built for about half the present estimate, and by the time the City Council had approved of the [plans for the proposed building, no doubt costs will have risen again.

Undoubtedly a crematorium is a requirement of the near future, and by all means the council should keep the matter in view. However, the ratepayers expect the councillors to make sure that they get’value for their money, but they cannot hope to do this in any building programme today.—l am, etc., "REES STREET RATEPAYER.”