GRAVES AT HOROWHENUA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 457, 16 March 1909, Page 6

GRAVES AT HOROWHENUA.

NOT LAID "EAST AND WEST." A CLERGYMAN'S LETTER. The HorowhenUa County Council, at its meeting on Saturday last, was called upon to consider a strange objection, contained in a letter from the Rev. C. Smith', of Otaki, requesting that the cemeteries under tho jurisdiction of the council be regraded. Ho stated that the corpses were not laid "eastwise," i.e., with the feet towards tho cast and tho head towards tho west. He was painfully struck with this at his first funeral at Otaki. This might appear a very small matter to some, but it grievously offended the religious susceptibilities of Christian people, so much so that ho had known graves reopened for tho purposo of laying tho bodies east and west. At his first funeral at Otaki ho was painfully struck with tho fact that the graves wero north and south, but not being sure of his bearings, being a stranger in Otaki, he said nothing, but when ho officiated at Jlanakau the irregularity was very evident. He mentioned (lie matter to tho grave-digger, who said ho had dug tho gravo as directed. The reverend gentleman did not think theso things should be. It was just as easy to dig a grave east and west as north and south and so avoid offence. Ono of tho councillors said that Mr. Smith had spoken to him about tho matter. 110 (the speaker) would not trouble if his feet wero put cast or west.