CREMATION

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 10, 18 March 1925, Page 33

CREMATION

A deputation waited upon the Dunedin City Council on last Wednesday evening, the purpose of which was to enilst the assistance of the Councjl in erecting a crematorium in this city. This deputation is the outcome of a meeting of cremation advocates, which was held last November. At that time we gave the sound

and solid reasons why the Church sets her face against this pagan practice of burning the dead, but we do'not propose to recapitulate '.them here. There is another aspect of the question, however, which we must now touch upon, and that is the cool proposal of the cremationists to mane conscientiously objecting ratepayers and rentpayers provide the wherewithal to pay for this precious crematorium. One of the speakers said that the Catholic Bishop of Duneuin had already voiced the .feelings of the Church on the matter, and they could not expect any support from Catholics. The point, is, however, that they intend forcing financial support from Catholics through the rates and through the rests. It was alleged that a large body of the people desired a crematorium in this city. We take leave to doubt this; and further, we should like to know what means were taken by the deputation to ascertain precisely what percentage of the community are clamoring for this thing? Would it not be much nearer the mark to say that the vast majority of the people have not troubled to think about it at all. and that the public demand is confined chiefly to the little ring of enthusiasts who arc not quite enthusiastic enough to pay for their hobby themselves? In any case, if such a large number of people.are longing for this innovation the burden of paying for it ought to rest lightly on so many shoulders. Would it be rude to suggest that those who are sighing for the crematorium erect it in the same way in which Catholics build their schoolsthat is, pay .for it themselves. It must have been a slip, however, when one of the deputation said that the cost of erecting the crematorium was too great to he borne by private enterprise. From this the inference is that the enthusiasts are very few. We agree that people living in a. community often have to pay for things they do not need; but we must insist that it is contrary to the functions of a public body supposed to represent all classes to give support to something which is an outrage on the conscience of one or more sections in the community. We urge Catholics t<? oppose strongly any attempt to make this oagan practice a municipal responsibility. There are any number of urgent works requiring the immediate attention and financial support of the City Council; but the erection of a crematorium is certainly not one of them.