The Chronicle LEVIN. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1916. ON FUNERALS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 15 February 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1916. ON FUNERALS.

liotween "decent burial'' ;iik'i ostentatious display there is it w.de in..rgm, but a grea.t many people are unaule u see where the ifue lies. Undoubtedly there are numbers wJio place a load of debt around thena.ie.lt es when ueatii occuis iu their iani'ilies, through' Jaoii of sufficient stablility oi character to permit of their refusing to have ostentatious funerals, that are beyoud tU-> .y means. Often these extra expenses are HSnirred simply because someone in a similar -walk of life has set tlie false standard. A cage oi this sort is reported from GhrisLchurch, where a defendant in a civil suit gave sjme interesting evidence last week. John •Le Breton was sued by an undertaker to recover a debt of £13 los (jd due lor defendant's mother's funeral, ' r iie examination of debtor by Mr Salter, solicitor for the plaintiff, ran ffs follows :— Mr tialter: I see the money is < ,v----ing for a funeral. Wiiose? Ihe Magistrate: His mo tiler's. Mr (salter: 1 should be ashamed to walk aliou t the town owing for my mother's funeral. Were you better "or worse oft then than now? Defendant: I was in a little bettai position. Mr tealter: 1 lieu why didn't you pay ? Ihe Magistrate: It's the same old story of expensive funerals ordered tv people who are not in a position to

pay. It's high time that someono did something in the matter of funeral jeform. It's an absolute necessity. iMr Salter (to defendant): Aren't you witling to pay anything? Defendant: 1 can't. i have a. and lour children. I can barely li'/-j sis it is. The Magistrate : Do you know that it fc> absolutely dishonest of you to incur These expenses and not to pay for them.'' It's the eame as putting your hanu into C?ie man s pocket and taking the money. It's ail the result of tlio i miserable systems of funeral parades, because a man doesn't like his relations to -be buried without the same pomp and ceremony as his neighbours. Jfj is high time that somebody took a hand in the matter of funeral reform. Mr' Salter: A great part of the money was incurred by Mr Barrel 1 in actual expenses.

Tiie Magistrate:— I know; it's abso-t-iriely ' dishonest. 1 shall make an order of Is per week, on principle, in default thirteen days' imprisonment.