SATURDAY, JULY 30, 1892. BURIAL REFORM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4179, 30 July 1892, Page 2

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 1892. BURIAL REFORM.

Tne mind of the world moves fast in these days ; and those traditions must indeed be founded upon right and rea&on which can survive the unsparing criticism and slashing amendment dictated by our progressive ogo. " The old order ohangetb, giviDg place to now " —and in an immense proportion of cases the ckungb is for the benefit of humanity. Among the subjects which attract the notice of social reformers, a prominent place has long been held by the question of tho proper disposal of our dead. The ominous increase of the world's population, and themenaca to the living iavolved in the ..near presence of the dead, bas turned t}je minds of many to the idea of ere mation as a more suitable method oi dealing with the dead than the timehonoured custom of crowding oui grave-yards with their remains. But whatever may be the strength of tilt abstract arguments which can be urged in favour of a reversion to this heathen practice, it' is hardly cisces sary to discuss them at any length sines it may safely be asserted thai the sentiment oi the world at larg< is not ripe for the entertainment o; this idea. Whether it will comment itseifin time, we are unable to pre diet; but, in any event, the need o some change io our existing methodi ofburiaiis upon us at the presen time, and we cannot wait for a t'utm* generation to solve difficulties wbicl press injuriously upon men apt women who are living now, "To meet the times," therefore and to suggest a plan which promise! success in proportion to its modern tion and respect for existing eqnti ment, a most praiseworthy societ; has been foundejL-in England, witl the style and title of the '■ Ohurcl of England {Juri«T, -Funeral *»fl< Mourning Reform Association." Thi connection of. this corporation wit! a particular religious body is n< concern of ours—though we may- b< allowed to say that it is certainlj seemly and suitable, and offers goot hope for the ultimate triumph of th< movement that it should etrianati from some of the most distinguishei members, clerical and. lay, of tin Nati.opul Church in England. : Ai association whichiCPUptß Archbishops peers of the realm, and' leading scieh ciiic men among its active members cannot fail of a considerable degrci ,of ipflueo.ee pver so.ciety ut Homo and ijiero jp lit tip dpubt tjbat if tlx ! wealthy and goyct-rjfng plasspp . a radical reform in w»ttera rol»tin| to funorub, the example will bi followed before , long by tho middli chases, in whoso interest the atUjmp is boing mudo, ■/; > V': '; As from iti title, tho AssociationS mftJrS? : ot otfrtaia Fisl|giotia ergameriia tho 'hiede of buryinj our dead J but iu contentions are a least as fitrong, and command & mori utjf|ueßti'onin« accopiance, wh»n tiia; oittoir upon the domain of. wuiitar; nclfihpu, for tbs tastier has a doabli it is not IsM a duration o jM'ntcttdob i&ftn'ofibntjmeijl:) and a fat &h jit in colsulntud lo improve am pf/jnorvu tho health of tho Jiving, th pontjri|| pppilsai .of AMo&tioi dtiserVeu mo aitfltitjon of intelhg«n persona everywb#?®,f. tk in tlilf-—to nutatftuU quickly ptnahabi coflln* for those solid cunngs it> wbiel wo 6«s io th tletttL TJIO objaet, oieoam, js fc

secure the rapid sssimilatieii of Use body by, the Burruunding earth ; srai wa canaot better th»n quote oc this point lie remarka of an omiaoat Loodon physician. Dr O. Y. Poore, whowaaoaa o£ the speakers the annual meeting ef the Association: " T £. at pf bnr »l which wa-s light scientifically. would bo the moafc aetsaily, the eafepfc, and the most economical. The beat thing tc do with a dead bjdy was to bury it in the earth bo that tha body s.nd the earth were in contact.' pcwer of the earth to consume and assimilate organic aaafctor tras iiiarvelloaa, a. power winch was dna to tho tact that the earth, especially y» its upper strati, teemed with organisms which literal!* coafilmed the body t turning the oitroganous tissues into nitratck . which in their turn became the food |o£ plants. Jn order that thia process miibt go on Without harm to the living, there most be * due proportion between fee. esrtb and the budy. The body ihould be buried not too deeply, and ihould be surrounded with earth. In tfjese conditions the body would ha quickly chanced into humus, without the possibility of its infecting either the air i\bovo, tho earth, or the water which percolates through it s for it had been conclusively shown that earth was tba mml efficient Alter conCo .'3?J llo - , * : 1 • ■ • Forest troaa ral iiJ advantage be planted in the earth above tlm corpse. A tombstone which kept light and air from the soil was unscientific. If the dead were buried in a single layer, and the graves were planted wjth trees, in a very few years tho earth would beonme ready to receive a second body, nnd tho first bjdy would he rupresonted by a tree to yield shade in summer and, in winter, fire. This was the only form of cremation which ha ailvooatod. And there wan, he thought, a» much beauty in flowers and trees and shrubt, as _in (he gauut and vulßas" masonry whioh disfigured so nany burial grounds. 'Lay hor i 1 tlioeiftli/ Bays Lttortw of Ophulin, * and from her fair nnd unpolluted fleoh may violets spring.'" The aimn of tho Association are in reality various ; lionoe the d ifforenlialion of "Burials," "Funerals," and " Mourning," in its title. Tiia proposal for burial reform !ms beon guffioiently sot forth in tho practical and eloquent language of Dr Poore. Funeral reform is explained to mean the abolition of those accessories in the woy of great hearses, gorgeous plumes, orapo ad libitum, and tho like, which matiy of our modern funerals only lons extravagant tlinn the average " fashionable" wedding. If it can be satirically remarked that money I is spent over the nuptials of a young! couple which would bave been much: more usefully bestowed upon their housekeeping expenses, it may be claimed with equaf truth that mourners often waste over their last obsequies money which they can ill spare, and this from a mistaken notion that they are paying respect to the dead. We think, then, that any effort at funeral reform should command onr co-operation as much as the proposals relating directly to the mode of burying.

Into the subject of " Mourning reform " ws need not now jfollow the Association. Suffice it to say that the Society protests, in thoughtful language, and largely on religiou's grounds, against the custom of feedir g the freelunch fiend on these occa lions, atid suggests that the friends of the family should always meet at the grave-aide and hot at the house of thij deceased. _ We feel sure that in calling attention to the aims of thin excellent ' Association we shall lead many ofottr fellow-citizeiJß to realise the great and Ipreßent need of a char ge in the | customs referred to. It is not too much to hops that Nov Zealand Bociety will follow shorty in the footsteps of these sensible- :&tsom a Home; that, instead of, xmsigning our dead to very durable add elaborately upholstered coffins in which the body generates poisonous gases and 1 fluids, we shall, in consideration for | the living, and in no irreverence for ;tbo dead, commit il remains ! of our friends to that natural element ; which ia contemplated by he solemn language of our Burial services—- " earth to earth."

Poultry has been struck iff the pro. gramme for the Wellington I .®ricultural and Pastoral Association's Show. The Surveyor-General has written to the Wellington Land Board, stating that the Hon. the Minister of Lauds saw no reason £0 l-elai the law in tbt case of the Slc*srs Wakelins 1 flections I os. 67, 08, 60, and 70, Block X, Bfargscne, as they must have known the coalitions required by the Act when th >y selected the laud. .Mr A. W. Hugs 1 aid he was very much surprised, and 1 ixceedingly regretted that the Lands department had written such a letter. He urged that the Messrs Wakelin wei e men why should have every encouragement and assistance from the Land Board. Ho characterised the letter as i very impolitic one. Several other Members of the Board agreed with Mr Hogg, The Board resolved to take no action in the matter at preeent, I

The Minister for Public Works saya that the twenty-five miles of railway awaiting construction between Ekeitahunaasd Woodville will cost £170,000. A sum of £IO,OOO was voted last year, of which £SOOO has.been expended, and £7OOO ia set down for contingent liabilities. The matter "will not be lost sight of," and wifl be dealt with its the Public Works Statenietif, Mr Hogg says that if the railway had been in the hands of a private company it would have been finished tang ago. j ■JJr Meredith, M.8.E,, sa/ 4 b threehour# speech costs the country £9O. Taking this basis of calculation aome members tpust pout the country prettv dearly, . " The road between Oreytown and Carterton i? to be planted with ornamenul treea on Arbor Day. Most of the trees will be planted inside the fences, by tbe consent pf property owners, The Marton jjeople have resolyed to tana no aptjun ia connection with the celebration of Arbor Day,

Thcf? . is .every prospect of th# dairy industry assuming large proportions in the Masttrton district Farmers are in many cau» disheartened with wun growing, the markets for the past few years having bean unprofitable. The elements Have also been unfavourable and it is thought that with the dairy factories tho farmers' Od-operative Association p'-ropoaes.establishing, and a fair price fur milk, the latdr industry Jyojifd be a sound commerciallimdcrtakmg. Wemay'expect, therefore, to see a good demand for cattle int the "near! futuj-e.

puas Basabur math that shussld i Mr Sjirgo 3«6tbsaj, decide to contest th® l swt, Mr fi, S. WmrdeliI , *Ol be a e&ttdidofa for Mafiterton a& next saonsrsleleecion. The name of ail aspiring yooojf fcirrntor haa also been idfl .& probable candidate ity the lattor Beat, together with that of a prominent forty-Mile Bush settler.

Tlu> revenue o£ the Wellington apctsou oi railways for the mouth of June was AA.OTI 83 2d, as againct £5,311 12a 6d for the same period last year.

■ A series of blips have occurred in tha Manawata florae, and tbnOommuaionara do not expect that through trafflo will bo resumed for, At least a week.

Tha adjourned public meeting, called to aea what could be done towards gating npnblia library and reading in was held in the Oddfellows' Hall on Thursday eveninsr, whaii about forty fcentlemen wers preaent. _M»' Thoniaa Parsuna was voted to the chatr, and after aome discussion the following gentlemen were elected a Committee :—Messrs F. Bennett, Thos. Parsons, J. Jones, T. J. Smith, M. Nir'aon, A. Hendersen, W. B. Mathieson T. Bayliss and Nordoll, with power to ajd to their number, Mr Smith informed the meeting that about £45 in subscription* had been promised. This baintrell the public: business, the meeting adjourned, when the Committee met and ?l c "? d J Vfi ' ■Bennett chairman, and S r ?/ . Bn)lth secretary and treasurer. ™ r Mathtesanwas deputed to see wh*t lie could do towards procuring a suitable piece of ground for a building.

The Government offices in Masterton will be closed on Thursday next (Arbor ?J* Tlio ban.tinij institutions ara not recognising tha holiday. _ There hag not been a lire in Mastorton during the past three months at which the services of the Brigade huve been re. quired.

. attU a great demand in Meaterton for valuable dogs. Within the 1 pwfc fow days nt> l©aa than ft dozen have been reported missing. A settlor informed us yesterday that ho had ];, st a sheep dot? which he had valued at £lO, and he is convinced that it has been stolen. Owners of canines ujlt therefore do well to keep them on the on gun.

The proposal of the Alfrodton Road ooara fot the expenditure of accrued thirds has been approved by the Wellington Latja Hoard.

". Jf- ' President of the Wellington Agricultural and Pastoral Association, suggested to the General Com mittee on Thursday night that the atook Department bo requested to make out a, yearly return of =.«£le, in addition to one of sheep, Noaction was taken in the matter.

A return just sent in to the various police stations for filling in requires, among a number of other particulars, a' statement as to the relations a constable has ui the district where he ia stationed. The idea U to pee runt mgabeiag gfcationed at places where, owing to having a laree number of relatives, they may not discharge their duties impartially. The petition of Richard Nicholle *nd other settlers ot the Upper Taueru to have a new line of road surveyed has been granted by the Government. The petition was presented by the member for Masfcerton._ The construction ot the lino of road indicated is necessary to give an outlet to a number of settlors who ha re recently taken up selections at the far end of the Upper Taueru