"TOUTING" FOR FUNERALS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 878, 26 July 1910, Page 7

"TOUTING" FOR FUNERALS.

VICTORIA'S -UNDERTAKING-' TRADE. An extraordinary state of affaira'~ia undertaking trade was revealed to tho Victorian State Treasurer a few days, ago by a. deputation from tho Victorian' Master Undertakers' Association., The statements made ariso out of a combination of Government contracts for pauper funerals, and for the removal of corpses to the morgue, in cases ■where the deaths require further investigation by the piilifo or coroner. Eor the removals of corpses no payment ia made by the State. ' .' Mr. D. Mackinnon, M.L.A., who introduced the deputation, said that. highly .objectionable practices had. 1 arisen out of the system under which..' tho removal' of bodies was performed*' by funeral contractors for nothing.. Contractors, through getting- the first information of the death, obtained facilities for pursuing their. business., which amounted to tho promotion of a. very illegitimate form of competition. ■ ; Mr. Whear, president of the tion, said there was no denying that a degrading form-of "touting" for funerals was prevalent. The "touting" evil extended to contractors for hospitals and other, institutions. He knew of one case in which an ambulance-van' driver was offered by a • contractor '20 per cwit. if any funeral business conld bo secured for him. ' ,■ The Treasurer, (in tones 'of astonishment): Is that story confirmed? Mr., Whear: Yes. ._ Other speakers urged that, in several instances extortionate charges' wer* made by contractors, when oiico they got & victim. . . ' The Treasurer said ho understood! that the deputation's case was thattho practice of calling for.tenders for burials and removals together gave the successful tenderer an unfair advantage, and that removals being given to an undertaker led to objectionable practices. . (Hear, hear.) Neither he nor' tho Government desired tho relatives of the dead to. bo harassed by ghouls, of tho kind described by tho. deputation. (Hoar, hear.) He would look' into the whole matter, and if a change were found to be desirable, it would be made. .