CEMETERY RESERVE.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 652, 22 July 1921, Page 3

CEMETERY RESERVE.

COMMISSEON OF INQUIRY.

SITTING AT HOWICK

QUESTION OF DRAINAGE RAISED

In the matter of an inquiry into the question whether burials shopld be allowed in the cerhetery reserve at Howick, being lot 8 of section of Pakuranga, a commission sat on Wednesday last. This commission was appointed not so very long ago to im quire into the question of suitability and on Wednesday Mr E. C. Cu.tten, I S.M., presided over a sitting, which 1 aimed at coming to some finality in i the matter. With Mr Cutten was !Mr R. P. Greville, commissioner of j Crown lands in the North Auckland district, who had attended by special reemest. Many old and respected residents and pioneers of the district j were present, and took a keen inter- | est in the proceedings It evolved f that some of these had been at How?t' -c ' j. jck from 50 to 70 years. There were I also representatives from the Pakuranga district. As there appeared to be no definil/e f parties to the dispute 1 , and the views I of different members were very <Jij verse, Mr Cutten permitted those who | were present to enter into a general I discussion of the points at issue. To f some extent this procedure could be i regarded as taking the place of coun--1 sei’s addresses. Some rather original i viewpoints and opinions were veni tilated. Those who favoured the rei serve as a cemetery were generally | In accord that, although thrte cemeteries at present existed, furthex- provision was necessary.- The older residents contended that, as the land had been reserved for cemetery purposes many years ago they should not now be deprived of their interest in it for the purpose mentioned. Further it vyas conveniently situated for all who wlshbd to visit the graves, and was approachable bv a good metalled, road

Objections to the Proposal.

The contentions of those who were opposed to the proposal that the ground be used for burials were chiefly based upon the fact that the drainage from the ground would go down a gully which passed through a quarter of the township which promised to be one of the chief residential parts, and even now there was a

' considerable number of houses abutting on it. In the issue this gully reached the sea at a - portion, of the beach not very far removed from the Howick wharf. Another objection wa: that a site so close to the townsnip was almost too good for the puipose for which ’t was originally intended. In order to see the merits and demerits of the site, Mr Cutten and Mr Greviiie, together with a number of those interested., paid a visit of inspection to the site named, and also proposed site further from the township. During the afternoon evidence was given by Messrs Gill, Bates.. Hattawav. White, Bostock, and Fitzpatrick. In concluding- the sitting and reviewing the evidence the commissioner stated that the objection which was based on the grounds that, the di ainage from the site went down, to the beach did call for consideration. He decided to make further inquiries, and to see whether there was another convenient site, before he sent in his report.