New-York tribune., 1901-07-26
WHAT A STYLISH FUNERAL COSTS.
HOW THE POOR HAMPER THEMSELVES
WITH UNNECESSARY EXPENSES
MISS WHEELER ADVOCATES
CREMATION
CREMATION

"A stylish funeral is regarded a means of
gaining social prestige, and poor families often in
cur wholly unnecessary expenses that hamper them
for years" said Miss Wheeler the summer
school Of philanthropy. yesterday statistics
show that the cost. exclusive of burial lots ana
monuments, of funerals in the United States is Is
per cent more than the cost of schools"
The Hebrews as a race have the greatest SIM
plcity in their burials and the Irish the most
lavish in expenditure. The expenses are usually
unjustly large, because the undertakers among the
poor overcharge them mercilessly a rule.
common practice is to ascertain the amount of IN
surance, and make out their bills for that amount
They then accompany the beneficiary to the in
surance Office, and get the money soon as the
claim Is settled by the company"
Miss Wheeler quoted from various authorities on
hygiene and sanitation to prove that cremation is
the only safe way to dispose of the body from
which life has gone. all agreeing that the vitality
of persons living near a cemetery is notceaniy
lower than other districts. and that contagious
diseases often start in the vicinity of graveyards
From economical considerations also, she stated
cremation should be adopted, the cost is much
less than that of burial at is impossible to keep
The expenses of funeral below $50 and they are al
most invariably $780, but ircineration can De
procured for $780," said Miss Wheeler. who ex-
pressed. also, her opinion that the latter is more
poetic and tender than the first method.
Miss Dinwiddie. of Virginia. read a paper on the
negro problem and, in the discussion that followed
Mr. Ayres. director Of the school. said that the
charge that the of colored families often
support the men. is true in a measure, but that
coored men wholly to blame, as few ave-
for earning living open to them In New
York They find 1t difficult to acquire trades De-
cause white refuse work side by side with
them. Contractors usually compelled 10 as
criminate against them. for the same reason
House service therefore seems TO be the only oCcu
patton open them. and there is not sunlcenI
demand for labor in that capacity TO supply all
with situations. .
Miss Garrett who has been making study or
the Italian colony, declared that her tnYesuga-
tions have convinced her that rule they are
cleanly, temperate, industrious, honest ana ho'
| generally quarrelsome, many think .s,.
In the shabby. little tenements In whlCh my
| dwell" said Miss Garrett. zone always nhus an an
| effort to make the best of things The oed away
has a neat white spread Pictures or SAINTS atio
| other holy beings adorn the walls. ana q heole @
| shrine appears somewhere. before whlch y tney say
| their devout prayers Landlords and shopkeePsGIIs
under ordinary circumstances The woi woneh anS a1 =
| self-respecting almost without exception anu
| make devoted mothers and wives s s
The housing of the poor also. was olscu sl''
| a member of the school asserted that II was ,, d
great mistake TO attribute the tenement mousse
| to the greed and neglect of the landlord ne
| tenement house outcome or econoHliC eNoIu I,
| tion he declared, land could not be proPery
! treated until experience had shown what ought 70
| an invention as any piece of machinery. ana the
| requisite training had to be acquired pelore 1t
The tonic for discussion to-day is Charity or, Or
sanizaton and reports from different socleues Will
be