Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-28

The National Funerl DfdectOfS ASSN
ciation meets in Detroit in annual con-
vention today. The association has
membership Of approximately 19OOO! ana
a largo proportion Of these attend the
annual meetings. The most interesting
matter that will claim the attention OF
tho convention is that OF reducing the
number of funeral directors and under
takers in the business. For many months
there has been a widespread agitation
against the high cost OF funerals. Inc
unprofessional methods OF advertising
have been a protest against the prevail
ing idea that undertakers levy heavy toll
on the woe and distress of those who
| have lost loved ones.
The undertaken who regards his work
in the light of profession declares that
there is no
Undertaking Business other business
Is Overcrowded. orouded and
that with 5000 undertakers in the coun-
| try there is an average of only one fu-
neral week for each of them. He feels
that there ought to be some way to re-
duce the number Of undertakers to abou<
half the present number. and that in such
reduction lies the secret Of more reason
able funeral expenses.
1t Is asserted that one of the reasons for
the public belief that the undertaken
mak4s huge profit out Of his business
Is the fact that in making his charges for
a caske: or coffin the undertaken often
includes In that charge his own services
and that Of his assistants whereas. he
ought to make specific charge for the
,sKet and another for services and OK.
tras. The question of account rendering
and that Of limiting the number of under
takers are the most important that will
come up before the convention
Another matter that will be brought UP
is that OF attempting to persuade Con-
gress to forbid the burial of any Ameri
can citizen at sea. In addition, the under
takers would require every steamship line
carrying passengers out of American
ports to be equipped with necessary ia
cilities for bringing back to shore the
body of any citizen who may die at sea.
Most of the lines out of American ports
now carry collins for. this purpose. The
undertakers seek a worldwide abolition
of sea burialS.
At one time It seemed that the National
Association Of Funeral Directors had
solved the
Solution Of Problem question of
in Violation Of Law. or u nro
fession. There is a companion associa-
ton known as the National Burial Caee As
ISOLATION. About 1890 there was an agree
ment entered into between these two asso-
ciotions stipulating that the Funeral Direc-
tors Association should buy no caskets
or other funeral goods not made by the
members Of the Burial Case Association.
In return for this concession the Burial
Case Association agreed to sell funeral
goods to no one but members of the Fu-
neral Directors Association. When a
man who was not a member of the Fh
neral Directors Association ordered goods
from a member Of the Burial Case Asso-
citation he was advised that goods could
not be sold him until he Joined the Flu
neral Directors Association. When lie
sought to do this he was told he wouid
have to obtain the Endorsement of the
members residing in his county. This
was seldom forthcoming. and the agree
ment worked successfully in limiting the
number OF undertakers who could buy
funeral goods from any of the big houses.
Then some undertaken who was refused
admission in the association bethought
himself that this was a violation of the
Sherman antitrust law. Kansas un-
dertaker of the name of Knight started
matters by instituting suit against the
Kansas Funeral Directors Association.
and his triumph in the courts was the
resulted in an entire abrogation of the
working agreement between the assocfa
tons. Since then the effort to limit the
number Of undertakers has been made
through legislation creating a state
licensing board. This legislation has gone
through in many of the states, although
Gov. Hughes of New York and Gov.
Harmon Of Ohio, in their respective
states have vetoed bills favored by the
funeral directors.
1t Is said that at no great funeral was
such sad mistake made as at that of
King Edward
Funeral OF EDWARD In England the
Chapter Of Errors. h s1nue Oh ns sm-
has reached the perfection attained in this
country. The preparation of the remains
Of the dead king was left to the physi-