FUNERAL REFORM ASSOCIATION.

Evening Star, Issue 3746, 24 February 1875, Page 2

FUNERAL REFORM ASSOCIATION.

A. meeting of the above was held in the -temperance Hall last night. Bishop Nevi'le presided, and there were about fifty gentle* mea present, among the number being Archdeacon Edwards, Revds. Messrs Stanford, Penny, > tanley, bigg, and Davis. Letters of apology from the Revds. Dr Roseby and Dr Stuart wore read. Dr Roseby wrote that he would be “ glad to learn that such proposals are made and adopted as are calculated to mitigate the grievous social evil.”

The committee appointed on November 3 reported that they found that a decent and appro- * f° r au ac^u lt can be obtained tor L 4 10s, exclusive of cemetery charges, if the proposed association supplied a carriage for the conveyance of the coffin ; and that they had been unable to find that any association with a like object was in operation in any of the Colonies, though preliminary meetings had been held at Adelaide, Sydney, and Christchurch. Ihe conditions of membership in the Sydney I 1 uneral Reform League embrace a declaration to the effect that the members of the association will, as far as may be possible, dispense with all decorations upon coffins, excepting the inscription plate and emblems of faith ; dissontinue the employment of mutes, abolish the use of palls, scarfs, and bands, and discontinue the providing of gloves; that the horses shall neither wear clothes, plumes, nor trap pings; that funerals shall not move at the present slow pace ; that processions should no longer be forme I at the residence of the deceased, and that the friends of the departed shall join the procession at the mortuary, or cemetery, instead; that ordinary attire should only be worn, with a black band across the arm of maes, in the case of a friend ; two black bands in the case of a relation, and three black bands upon the loss of a wife or parent; and that females should also wear their ordinary attire at funerals, with bands as above, and with or without a black veil; with one, two, or three falls, so as to show their relation to the deceased, At Adelaide the Funeral Reform Association passed the following resolutions : That without desiring to interfere with the regulations of churches, the Association reiterates its declaration that clergymen’s fees should in no case form an item in the undertaker’s charges. That, iu the opinion of this Association, iu general mourning it should be deemed sufficient for men to wear a band of crape or cloth on the hat or left arm. They would also recommend that, iu the case of women and children, a simpler and less expJnsiv ® l ‘ res3 as regards colors and materials be

It was resolved to form the Dunedin Funeral Reform Association, piyment of balf-a-crown pa- annum entitling any peisou so i'ubicribiug to membership, the benefit of any contract entered into by the association, and to the use of its conveyance for the funeral of any of his or her household. Subscriptions are to be invited from all those who are friendly to tho movement towards the purchase of a conveyance for tho use of the association, and for.defraying preliminary expenses. A committee consisting of Messrs’A. Barr, Cairns, Hawkins, Kenyon, Maitland, G, Matthews, Quick, Strode, T.

Stewart, and E, B. Cargill was appointed to collect subscriptions as above, to procure the conveyance, to conclude a contract with the undertakers, to advertise the matter as they may think necessary, and generally to complete the business arrangements of the associition, and iho committee was empowered to complete a contract with Messrs Craig and Glides to conduct adult funerals for the sum of L 4 10s, and in proportion for children. It was moved by Auchdeacon Id wards “That in the opinion of this a-'sociati-m the present stylo of morning is uunec ssarily expensive, and that it should lv> d'-emrd sufficient for men fo we ir a band of crape or cloth on the hat or arm. IV ey woul I rLo recommend that in the case of women and children a more simple dress a* regards color and materials be adopted.” In leconcling the resolution, Mr Q-jick expressed the opinion that it was the • reatest cruelty in tee world to put children in. black clothes ia summer, and that people murdered their children for this ostentation. Mr Cargill objected to condition i •'of membership being imposed, and while at one with the Archdeacon in deprecating unnecessary expense in dre s by persons, whether in or out of mov.ruing, thought it would be snffici ut to recommend that extravagance be avoided in mourning costumes in familits. Mr R©bin was grateful to the Archdeacon for proposing the resolution. The custom of dres ing families in black should be deprecated, as it pressed very heavily on poor people. On the motion being declared carried, Mr Cargill said ha declined to join the association on such terms, and Archdeacon Edwards pointed out that it-was only a sugge-d-Hm.