The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-09-27
CEMETERIES.

The cemetery question does not
seem to trouble the minds of the people
of this city, yet it is a serious one. The
that burials in the present cemeteries
shall cease after September &c. but the
Board has failed to suggest where
people are to be buried after Septem-
Der 30. There are on an average about
four deaths day in our population.
On Monday next where are those four
corpses going to be taken. The Star
called attention to the matter few
days ago. but in the rush of politics no
one seems to have given the matter
much thought till yesterday, when
Governor Dole went out to Diamond
Head. ...s...,.s..
AS the matter stands either the
Board of Health will have to rescind
Its order, or some place, easy of access
to the poor man, must be found, and
found, quickly. 1t cannot be too
strongly insisted upon, that the burial
of the dead must be made so as to come
within reach of the most modest purse.
Even when we have done that we have
still put heavy tax upon the poor. 1t
IS the last tax paid however. After
that there comes, one hopes, peace.
1t is of course an easy thing to pick
out piece of land outside of the city
limits, but the question is how to get
there The cost Of transport to fune-
rails Is Very heavy. II a cemetery is
chosen near Diamond Head, until the
Rapid Transit people get their line ex-
tended It win be the most costly kind
of a matter to follow a body to the
tomb, and certainly the Rapid Transit
people cannot get their line in working
order for many months to come. What
we are faced with is situation that
must be attended to now,
The Diamond Head proposition is
good one enough and should be pushed
to completion. A city of the size of Ho-
nolulu, which is daily growing, requires
considerably more than one cemetery
and another site should be chosen at
once. The only available site which can
be at once easy of access is along the
railroad. A site might be selected
somewhere along the line even at this
late date and burials commence on
Monday, rt
There should be some contract enter
ed into with the Oahu Railroad Com
pany whereby a minimum rate should
be paid for conveying corpses for buri-
al, and a cheap rate for those who fol-
low the bO6V tn tho orro,,a rTl,o,z e,,z-1..
also to be train which would go down
every day by which those who wish to
visit the last resting places of those
who are near and dear to them can do
SO without having to spend too much
time waiting for the regular train.
To meet cur instant necessities this
seems the most feasible scheme, and
as we have put off so long in our usual
happy go lucky style we must get a
hustle on. Whether this should be a
government enterprise or the enter
prise Of private parties does not mat
ter very much. The government cer-
tainly is deeply interested in the dis
posal of it's dead; and the proper dis
posal is duty Of the Board of Health,
While on this subject one may as
well call attention again to the crema-
tory project which has practically been
shelVed. Though, many people have
still prejudice against this method of
the disposal of the dead, and though
some religions distinctly forbid its use,
yet there are a great many who thor
6ughly believe In Il and who much
prefer to be disposed of In this way,
when they have shuffed off his mortal
ebii.
Some time ago there Seemed to be
every prospect of the city being equip
ped with a proper Hand decent cremas
tory A large number of people were
DRY serves, Governor Dole took con-
siderable pains to gather information
on the subject Besides the informal
ton gathered by Governor Dole, others
in the city gave attention to the sub
Ject and, when at the Coast. made per-
sOna1 investigation of the system as it
was carried out in San Francisco.
AS we are once more facing the prob
lem Of the disposal of the dead, might
it no be wise to revive the subject of a
crematory once more, and see if money
cannot be raised, to make beginning.
People on the other Islands are inter-
ested in the matter, as well as those
in Honolulu.