The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-04
THE UNDERTAKES MEETING.

/ Rev. \. Z. Harmon, chaplain OF the de-
partment of Kansas. G. ). e. who in
yoked the blessings of heaven ON the
assemblage.
When the meeting was called to order
only about fifty members were present,
but later on they began to arrive until last
night it was estimated that over 100 were
1 in the city
| In the absence Of Mayor Carey, Charles
| E. Coffin made the welcoming address
! which was decidedly pleasant and well re-
ceiyed. Ii was certainly coincide1t that
Coffin should welcome the undertakers.
/ In response to the welcome of Mr.. Coffin,
NJ. Wuipi of Clay Center made strong
talk on behalf of the association.
President Whitley followed with his
| annual address. which is as follows:
Gentlemen and Members OF the Kansas State
IndeFtskeTs Association:
When the committee who framed our
constitution, inserted in the order of bus
/ iness Remarks by the President" it did
so, no doubt, from common presidents
prevalent at such gatherings as this and
greater ones And ii IS we'll, that at any
gathering of any large body, the leader,
! chairman or president, as he may be. can
and should be given the opportunity to
| define his policy and principle, and sug-
gest such measures and ideas, on which
! the meeting so opened may work. lis
well, say, and should be so; yet realizing
| my own liabilities, l hesitate 10 grasp the
opportunity which my position as presl-
! dent of this association gives me, for fear
OF falling short of your expectations and
my intentions. Yet, with your indul-
gence. l will briefly outline my ideas as
best l can.
Is z1d6 frl
the call for this meeting, proves to me
that live interest exists amongst the
members of our association.
You all have come here under some ex-
pense, and of course hope TO be benefited
thereby. We all come prompted by a
common interest, and ought they not be
the proudest moments of our lives. those
spent by working in common cause? In
such an assembly as this, an amount OF
good will surely come to all of Us; but to
wha: extent, is for US to say. IT is true,
but it takes time to attain our objects; but
the knowledge that we are right, lends
wings 10 time, and makes the work in
teresting.
Our aim. as the preamble in our now
notorious Little Black Book" gives il. IS
10 protect each other, and 20 elevate our
work to professional basis. Let Us look
for moment, how we can protect each
other. To my mind, our best protection.
all in all, comes by improvement in our
work; or in other words. by educating the
funeral director. The more this is done,
the more will the coffin seller be de-
barred from his present, in some instances,
lucrative work. And how can we i'm
prove in our work? Certainly, by the
sociatiug of ourselves togther; the inter-
change OF ideas; the promotion of fellow
ship. and the agitation and creation of
such statutory laws as will require at our
hands greater efficiency of work.
Education brings reforms from old and
ANTICIPATED practices. Reforms tend to-
ward elevation, and elevation of any work
raises obstacles against the incompetent
and those who prey upon the legitimate
labors of the more elevated workers. Yet,
reforms cannot be brought about in a day,
and the ''oid time undertaken" cannot be
prevented from his work of leeching at
once. Still, he cannot last always. In
time he will have to quit, and his success
sor must be man OF more advanced
ideas. Thus, / say, reforms are the result
of education, and education is
attained by the associating of
workers. Strictly speaking, there
is no right of one citizen, ia which another
may not equally share. Ii Is not well to
agree to drive any one from any rights We
are participating in. Yet, we may, in our
associations, come to n mutual improve
ment agreement. If you please, and the
incompetent must and Syill finally drift
out of sight. as surely as water will seek
its own level Slow but sure is the pro
gress of reform; but we must today. so
that our successors can take up the work
tomorrow anu finally land our efforts, by
placing the undertaken Ga high level of
profession.
To do this, we need legislation which
shall require degree of proficiency on our
part, that viii act as a barrier TO any who
lack the ability or opportunity to attain
that efficiency. This cannot be done in a
day Ii takes time TO educate the public
TO that knowledge, which will make the
creation of laws looking to the public
health. essential This can only be ac
compiished by the associated efforts of
those OF Us who fully realizs the relation
of our work TO sanitary condition. And is
not the ork of the undertaken very essen
tial to the veal or woe OF public health,
One of our main efforts must therefore
be IN the line of agitation, which shall
tend toward awakening the public mind
TO the present lack or laws requiring a
knowledge of disposing Of the dead, which
now does not exist.
1t is thus. that education of the funeral
director promotes his work TO higher
level, ana, placing in more professional
light. protects him from the more incom-
petent. who at present would drag the
n
Toby the Kansas UndertAkers' associa-
ton. am happy TO be able to say, stands
high in the rank of the associations of our
land While we have not bven organized
as long as some of the other associations
vet we have progressed rapidly and are
recognized as one of the strongest state
associations in the International body.
Still. our work is hardly begun; and.
prompted by our progress thus far, let Us
strive to greater efforts. To do this re-
Quires unity of labor. l say unity of
labor" because in il alone rests success.
1t has been correctly stated that the uuder-
takers of our state, or OF any state, might |
be summed up IN three classes:
Eirst-Ihe association workers
Second-Those VINO think well OF associ- |
alton, bat are only lockers OF, and
Third-Thst class who car; not Tor i'm i
provement. nor would depart from the old |
mode practiced in the disposition OF the !
remains % the first numbered Abel Of
Scripture lore. Some OF this class do not |
even seemingly care to associate with |
those from whom they might learn, and /
can only be awakened by advanced compe- !
tition. To make association n /
success. the association worker must I
have the assistance OF those /
heretofore interested, but who have been !
but an audience. rs it were | would !
therefore urge all present 10 be active In I
our WORK. success reQOlres uniformity 7
10 action. as well as an implicit confidence I
IN the officers.
Ny efforts during my term Of Office have /
and shall he earnest; but l shall depend on !
the full and free faithtulness or all my 4
associate officers. as well as on tie liberal !
and full cooperation o. the file anu rank
Today we labor under legal entsngle- I
,nent which has ciouded our efforts 10 - /
degree Yet. l feel that the outcome will 4
I'd e-rnd alrhnr1rh 10 Z
tedious and require attention OF all our /
officers. On behalf of the officers, / would I
thank our members for the sustained /
actinn OF The mem hlers. ia the CONFIDENCE