Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-06-18
COST Of DYING
AID TO POVERTY
Pastor Tells Charity Workers
Undertakers Should BE Reg
uIated by Law.

CLEVELAND. OHIO, June 1S.-Have
the undertakes of the country organ
lied trust?
= The Rev. Quincy L. Dowd, of Roscoe,
I'LL. speaking before the National Con-
ference of Charities and Correction
here this morning. charged burial costs
among the poor with being one Of the
large contributing causes of poverty in
this country. and based his statements
on the results Of a study of such costs
in various American cities and foreign
countries He urged a number of radi-
cal reforms to operate lin restraint OF
trace Some of his suggestions are:
The appointment of commissions of
inquiry into burial and cemetery af-
fairs
The organization of church leagues
Of compassion, settlement societies of
burial protection, women's club sec
tons devoted to common sense in bur
ial matters.
The passage of improved legislation
and ordinances for the regulation of
undertaking to reduce competition,
limiting the number of undertakers IN
each ward. putting up the privilege of
this trade to public bids under rigid
contract requiring public fixed schcd-
gles of funeral supplies and public
service
The establishment of municipal Gem
eteries whose charges for lots, care,
opening graves and chapel use should
be at cost. In cemeteries accessible to
all sections of a city, crematories
should be built and charges of inciner-
alton placed at cost.
The establishment of bureaus Of
burial affairs as a part of the local
health department.
Don't Tax Labor Products
The removal of all taxes from build
ings and other products of labor, and
the increase of taxes on land values,
was urged by Benjamin c. Marsh sec
rotary of the New York congestion
committee as the way to reduce the
present congestion and overcrowding
of population in cities
Il confess with regret" said Mr..
Marsh that | see but little hope that
the charities of this country will dare
to come out in this fight to exterminate
poverty Privilege is too entrenched in
most of their directories, and forms
the basis of the fortunes of too many
0f their benevolent contributors. We
must cease looking for material i'm
proyement of living conditions from
charitable societies. and recognize that
such Improvement can be achieved only
through governmental action-that is,
by the enactment of just laws, and the
repeal of unjust laws, such as the tax
alton of abor For this we must hold
our elective representatives RESPONSE
BILE"
For Abolition of Prison Labor.
The committee on courts and prisons
in its report advoca ted the abolition of
contract labor in all prisons. Thomas
r. Slicer of New York, chairman of
the committee. said that the problems
confronting state governments are only
alike in every state in the one require
ment-that the prisoner should be kept
at work-hs physical condition his
moral health and his mental sanity de-
pend upon the conditions under which
he works. He urged the adoption of
the state Use" system, under which
the population of prisons are employed
in the manufacture of those commodi-
ties such as shoes, clothing. brooms.
furniture and so on, used by the va
rious institutions and departments of
the state, and in farming. dairying.
gardening and road building.