MODEL TOWN FOR THE HAPPY COLONY IN DEFENCE OF THE MORGUE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 252, 18 July 1919, Page 6

MODEL TOWN FOR THE HAPPY COLONY

IN DEFENCE OF THE MORGUE

Sir,—The plan of the "model tnwni to-- the hiiijDy colony" referred to in your, columns this morning is the frontispiece to a book. "The Happy Colony", written by Robert Pembertoii, and published in London in 1854. The preface to the volume indicates the scope of the work: "This philosophical work, deducted from the discovery of the true.attributes of the human mind, which at once developed the perfectibility of man, Rives the practical system of working out his perfection and happiness, and points out fo the oppressed classes-of society the way t and means of accomplishing their perfect emancipation from the fake systems of training, governing, arid estimating the human race; and the author brgs the honour of dedicating it to the workmen of Great Britain." The first part of the book consists of dialogues between a philosopher and a learned friend, relating to the principles upon which the happy colony is to be founded. The second part is addressed •to the workmen of Great Britain, and contains' a prospectus for the formation and establishment of the happy colony, and a dialogue- between the delegates of the workmen and the philosopher. A block of 200,000 acres was to be selected in the voung colony of New /.ea.and, I fronting the sea in the Taranak; district, and this block was to be divided into ten districts of-20.000 acres each, and a separate society formed for each district, each district also lin-ving: its "town, according to the model plan. The third part describes the Elysiah academy, or natural university, where the children of the colonists were to be educated. This part contains a plan of the proposed college buildings and grounds. The whn'e is a nhiWophical discussion of a working man's Utopia; theplan in question indicates, town-pianning comes within the of the disquisition. A. cony of the. book is m the I Turnbnll Library, recently bequeathed to the State.-I am, etc., JOHANNES C. ANDERSEN, Librarian, Tumbull 'Library. July 17. 1919. ~

Sir—Would you allow me to contradict 'the statement that the morgue is in an insanitary condition? It is an extremely well designed building for ;ts purpose, and compared with the-condi-tions existing fifteen years ago, it is paradise. For the inform* ion of you. correspondent I may say that wl« a body is brought to the morgue all ho clothing has to he removed, and it i» not always possible to destroy such things at once,' particularly when therv hav been a number of deaths., lor tile first time in niv experience of i earl> twenty vears. T was without an assistant on Monday last, and the morgue my not have been as clean as. *J™ n }« have been. Sergeant MKelvie. who .1- "", " c t s in this capacity, was ill and to boots.-I am, etc., ' W. KINGTON FYFFE. M.D.-