Evening star., 1897-01-25

| after the morning business Chairman
| Babcock obtained the floor and called nm
| the bill prepared by the health Office TO
| regulate cemeteries.
| To Regulate Cemeteric.
The report on this bin says:
| Ihe establishment and n aintenance OF
| cemeteries i'm this District is governed bv
| sections .94 to ,sD4, Revised Statutes Dis
| trct OF Columbia relating to the i,lcorpor-
| atioh OF cemetery associations. The dis
| pcsal of dead bodies is controlled br reyl,-
4 latlons OF the late board of health to secure
| run and correct record of vital statistics
| includilg the registration of marriages
| pfths ana deaths. The lnterment. lisintcr-
| hent and remoN al OF the dead i'm the Dis
| trct of Columbia issued August / ls5.
| uhoer authority OF an act of Congress en-
| u'lea An act 10 further define and enlarge
| the powers and duties of the board of
health of the district of Columbia ap-
| proved June 2S, lS74
| Cemeteries in this District are now gov
| eihed oniy by certaIn laws eEacted for the
| purpose OF regulating the Incorporation of
| cemetery associations, with which asnc-f
| oi Ihe case the law now proposed does not
| uedi' ftiatlhS soletE 10 sanitary conditions
| It's purpose is to prevent The improp,r r loca
| hol OF cemeteries or crematories for hu-
| man remains; 10 prevent the overcrowdine-
| VI cemeteries, ana 10 require the keeping
| Oh certain records So far as rcIates spe-
| cihcaliy to any OF these matters .xistin.
| law is silen.
| The proposed bill seeks to establish GER
| @ @i ieS"ia IONS IN reference to the keep
| ing OF Gead bodies prior to burial ar err.
| nlatlon. so as to prevent nuisance there
| from. and If amended as propos.d 10 nrs
| vent the embalmlng or destruction thereof
| except under certain conditions 50 as IN
| prevent the adoption of such methods for
| the purpose of concealing crime-matters
| Whlch are not now under any definite. legal
| restrictions. 1t also Celebrates so,newbat
| IL. reference TO interments and disinter-
n.en alx-t a.
| statutes. 'e
The necessity for this law is manifest
| Inc rapid growth of the suburbs renders
| imperative legislation to prevent the loca
| tioI OF cemeteries IN their midst especially
| IN view of the dependence of inha Infants
| oI these suburbs on wells sources of
9rlnklng water. SO, also in reference TO
| etermining the size of grave sites denfh
| OF graves, number Of interments etc An
| oFercrowded cemetery is a nuisance and
| source of disease to the community even
when most favorably located, and should
be prevented by law. When once estao-
| nsh.d as is quite possible under existing
| conditions, correction is difficult
| Some OF the cemeteries in this District
| do not at present keep any record of in
| terments or disinterments. Under such
conditions it is impossible to recover bodies
| which have been buried, should II be nee
| essary to do so for legal purposes or o her
| wise, and. if the proposed bill is passed, IL
| will be impossible, without a provision for
| such record. to compel compliance with
It's provisions. Due provision is therefore.
| made Tor the keeping of such records.
| Those parts of the proposed law re-
latfng TO the keeping of bodies prior to in
| terment are necessary to prevent their
1 retention in such manner and for such a
| length of time as not to endanger the
| health of the occupants of the houses in
| which they are kept, and to become a
| source of nuisance to the public; also so
! as to prevent the concealing of dead bodies.
| OF their mutilation, for the purpose of con-
| ceallng crime.
"Cremdtor.es for human remains arc not
| now regulated In any way, nor if the law
| be strictly Interpreted are the cremated
| remains permitted to be disposed CT except
| by burial. The proposed law makes due
| provision for such matters. The passage
| of the bill referred to is earnestly recon-
| mended in the interest of public health and
| order
Debate on the Measure.
Mr.. Curtis of Iowa, who is in charge of
| the bill. asked for a vote upon it, stating TO
| the House that IL was a measure necessary
| to the promotion of sanitary conditions in
the District. He said the various medical
| societies of the District had indorsed the
| bill
Mr.. Baker of New Hampshire said the
bill seemed to have for its specific object
| the glorificaton of the health officer the
| extension of his power, and the limitation
| of the rights of the citizen. He thought
the proposed legislation unnecessary
| and uncalled-for
Mr. Curtis of Iowa said the District COM
mittee could only act upon the information
| supplied by the proper official, the health
| officer of the District. That official had
| represented the legislation to be necessary.
| and the report explained the claims of the
| health officer.
| Mr. Baker said the first section Of the
| bill which prohibits the laying out OF 8
cemetery within one mile and a half from
| the city boundary would prohibit the loca-
| ton of a cemetery that lies within the
| boundaries of Maryland and Virginia. Nj.
Baker also objected to the regulation per-
mitting the entrance to or exit from cem-
| eteries, except by means OF the regular en-
| frances or gates.
Has it come to this" said Mr.. Baker.
| that in the close of the nineteenth cen-
| tury we must make such rules that when
| Gabriel blows his trumpet the spirit can
only emerge from its resting place except
, by means of the regular exit OF the Gem
| etery?"
'The gentleman ought to know said
| Chairman Babcock. that the regula ton is
made to keep grave robbers out, and not
| to keep the spirits in
l. Mr.. Baker said one regulation prohibited
the exposure of the face of a dead person
| at the time of the funeral, except by per-
| mission of the authorities.
| Mr.. Richardson contended that this regu-
| lation only related to the exposure of dead
| bodies for pay.
Committee Amendments Adopted.
The committee amendments to the bill
| We're then reported. and they were adopted.
| Mr.. McCreery of Kentucky wanted to
| provide that the provisions of the bill
| should not apply to private cemeteries.
Mr.. Richardson held that the dangers
| which this bill was designed to prevent
| might just as easily arise in an unreeulat-
| ed private cemetery as in a public burial
| place. He could see no reason for making
/ an exception in their case.
| Mr.. Baker desired to strike out the pro-
| vision which prevented exit from or en-
| trance to the cemetery except by the reg
| ular gates. His amendment was defeated
by 10 to 1, end Mr. Baker raised the point
Of no quorum.
call of the House was then ordered
for the purpose of obtaining quorum.
| Finally Passed.
A quorum was finally obtained, and the
bill for the regulation of cemeteries was
then passed.
Mr. Babcock then called up the bill for
the regulation of outhouses, and that was
| passed. The House then proceeded to the
| consideration of the bin relating to con-
| tagious diseases. and was discussing this
L rvhe he