THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1877.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 8, 24 November 1877, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1877.

I.N every city, or town of the slightest pretentions to any importance, wo have observed that they take an especial pride in the position, cleanliness, ami general order of the resting place of their dead. The cemeteries are enclosed, goodlooking nnd appropriate shrubs are planted, the graves dug in order and kept clear of noxious weeds, and have generally the appearance of respectable resting places for our remains when we shuffle off this mortal coil. Not so, however, the cemetery of Apia. The very look of it, is almost enough to frighten one from the idea of having his bones to decay here. Cremation would be preferable. The ground has not a particle of fencing nround it, to keep the cattle from treading tho mounds down out of sight, or the pigs, of which there area goodly few roaming about, from rooting about over tho graves. The graves are dug in all sorts and manner of ways, just as suiU'd the grave-diggers. The ground is one mass of noxious weeds, wild shrulw, and undergrowth. In fact it has anything but tho appearance of a mva-yan, and Wl wander thai the ?pin!s of those who

ones we loved an.l whom Mekty we conrl.d. il.i not taunt u-. with so MOD (•(getting them, Hut s,, far as thi- dead arc ooikvi n.'tl it matter, not where they Me laid, but when we prolan to have "a cemetery, we ought, for our own credit'.sake, to take a little pains to give it thi ippearauce of such. The espvnce of s. ItMllg would not be very heavy. Fencing it in and Blearing it would be the heaviest item, and keeping it dean afterwards would be a mere bagatelle. We have been informed that the reason why steps have not been taken in this matter before, is because it is private property. We are of opinion that this difficulty could be very easily overcome by those'persons who have wade this town i heir home forming a committee of management and then applying to the owner to have the land placed in their hands to put in order. This being done, we do not doubt for a moment but that a conveyance of the land will at once follow, for it cannot now lie of any possible use to the present owner. Having once got the land in possession, aud some show made of the desire to improve the condition of the cemetery, we will venture to say that no difficulty whatever will be experienced in raising sufficient money to do the work. In addition to the above reasons, the management of the cemetery should be taken in hand by a committee from a sanitary point of view. Upon several occasions the graves have been dug so shallow that not more than two feet of earth has been placed upon the top of the coflin. This cannot by any means add to the healthy condition of the atmosphere. No coffin should be nearer to the surface than four feet. We make these few remarks in the hope that some steps will be taken at once to have the cemetery put in proper order, for we, as a community, are like an orphan, having no paternal Government to look to in public matters of this nature, and, conse juently, we must do it out-solves.