The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-08-25
BETTER CEMETERIES
Can Be Acquired by Building Better
Monuments.


stones crowded and jumbled together in
an unimpressive exhibition of the stone
cutters industry. Some of them, singly
and with proper surroundings, might APP
peal to the aesthetic sense. In the usual
cemetery conditions these monuments
offend the sense of beauty, and expert
ence shows us that usually they. fail in
the permanency desired by those who
erect them. Life, July 3, 1919.
This paragraph, quoted from the pop
ular humorous weekly, would not COM
mand more than passing interest were it
not for the fact that it betrays state
OF mind which has become alarmngly
general To be sure, this example in par
ticular forms the prelude to an appeal
for Life's fresh air fund and the pur-
pose was obviously to contrast the prac-
! tical good of memorial gift as against
the rather futile" cemetery memorial
The comparison may be found in almost
every periodical one reads. Especially do
we find it often repeated in the now fa-
miiar controversy over utilitaran war
memorials. There are two salient and
serious conditions revealed in this edi-
| torial from Life ~ one Is the startling
| growth of utilitaran memorials; the
other is the deplorable conditions which
prevail in altogether too many cemeter.
les. While it is an acknowledged fact
! that many of our city cemeteries are
| excelled by none in the world. neverthe-
less in many smaller communities we
! find conditions which are nothing short
of national disgrace. The various or
CARNATIONS among cemetery officials, no.
tably the Association of American Gem
etery superintendent, have gone long
| way toward creating fine spirit of
| pride and professional interest among
| their members, but unfortunately their
| sphere of activity is limited and their
members rarely need to be urged to
beautify their grounds. 1t is the innu-
merable cemeteries, the officials OF which
| are not affiliated with these organiza-
| lions, that require immediate attention.
The associations are powerless to enter
your community and mine and in any
way promote better cemetery conditions.
Since we are, on the other hand. resi-
dents OF the community and frequently
lot holders, why can we not stir up pop
ular feeling and pridel
The monument business in any given
locality Is rarely better than the GENE
teres which the business serves. The
now generally accepted reason for this is
that the public has no incentive to erect
superior memorials in an inferior GENE
terry, If the cemetery is ugly, ill-kept
and offensive. il is obvious that the pub
lie neglect the place and that few if any
visitors would ever see a good monu-
ment if one placed it there Moreover, it
cannot be denied that the average pur-
chaser Of monument is governed large
ly, in making his selection, bv the
standards already set in the cemetery.
II the work is costly he is forced by
pride to have more regard for the nature
of the work he viii buy. The conclusion
is obvious. " behooyes the entire indus
try to cooperate with the associations
OF cemetery officials in broadcast cam
paign TO encourage, foster and inspire a
greater regard for Gods acre in Amer
lea. Monumental News has for genera
tions conducted fruitful campaign for
better design in cemetery memorials.
The refinement and character of present
day memorials bespeaks the success of
this propaganda. The problem now con-
fronting the industry is TO combine this
tendency for higher ideals in design with
sorely needed campaign for better Gem
etery conditions, Some Of them singly,"
says the editor Of Life, might appeal 70
the aesthetic sense" but the woefu neg
lect and ill-planned surroundings de-
stroy the effect
Quarters, manufacturers and retail.
ers are all affected by this insidous and
spreading disregard for the cemetery and
the monument To be sure, the present
unprecedented prosperity may divert our
attention temporarily, but il should be
remembered that major part of the
business secured to-day was accumulat-
ing during the war when families alb
stained or deferred their purchases. Ii
is in sense an abnormal market and
the farseeing should look beyond the
present and in common with other in
dustries, study carefully the fundamen-
tai problems and tendencies OF these
problems, the psychology of the utilitar-
ian tendency is the most serious, where
as the neglected cemetery is the most
immediate and the one which offers at
least some possibilities for immediate
action.
The traveller can name without much
difficulty a hundred or more cities of
growing population in which the Gem
eteries are ill-kept The better element
in these cities deplore the condition but
without organization and leadership !
they cannot be moved to take action III |
the observing dealer would pause to es-
innate the thousands of dollars forever
lost TO the craft by virtue of these con
ditions which discourages the building
of better memorials, he would perhaps !
better appreciate the need of immediate |
corrective measures. If the quarters and |
manufacturers would appreciate the psy- |
Geological value in dollars and cents of !
nationwide interest and pride in the
cemetery, they would also realize that, |
in the past and present, literally mil |
lions Of dollars in business has been lost !
because of these conditions 1t is we'll I
known TO students Of monumental art I
that in certain cities, known for their
beautiful cemeteries, the average price
paid for monuments was exceedingly
high, whereas in other communities, fire.
quently of greater per capita wealth, the
market was nearly negligible
What shall be done to correct these
Surely, we<may in the first
place assume that the majority of citi-
zens in any given community would well
come improvement. Again, the asso-
Citations of cemetery officials could be
counted upon to lend their cooperation.
A nationwide movement to inspire pride
and interest in the cemetery could not
but be advantageous to cemeteries and
makers.
There unquestionably exists between
cemetery authorities and the monument
dealer, common interest which has been