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45
CREMATION.
The number of cremations at the Corporation Cemetery at Ilford during
the year was 24, as compared with 19 in 1908, while the total number in the
United Kingdom has risen from 795 to 855.
Year by year the total number of cremations in the United Kingdom show
a steady increase, yet such increase is small considering that there are now
13 crematoria in operation.
There is undoubtedly a prejudice against this form of disposal of the dead,
except amongst the more intellectual class of the community, and the progress
of the practice must depend upon the education of the people.
As in former years, I have invited the views of Superintendents of other
crematoria on the subject.
The Secretary of the Cremation Society of England informs me that no
new crematoria were established during 1909, but a Society has been
inaugurated at Edinburgh to provide means for a local crematorium. It will
be seen by the table on p. 47 that a crematorium was established in Glasgow
fifteen years ago.
A Cremation Congress promoted by the Society for Cremation in Belgium,
will be held at Brussels in September of this year. New Zealand has
established the first crematorium at Wellington, and there is a movement to
provide a similar building for Auckland.
It was mentioned in the last Annual Report that with a view of
popularising cremation the Corporation had reduced their inclusive charge
to 2l. 15s. 6d. This fee includes all attendance after the body is placed on
the catafalque table by the undertakers, a plain urn for the remains, and
storage of the latter for three months. Although the number of cremations
at Ilford rose from 19 in 1908, to 24 last year, it is still too early to judge
the effects of this step.
In this connexion I may quote the views of the Honorary Secretary of the
Birmingham Crematorium-
" We find that cremation is making very slow progress in Birmingham
" although we have advertised considerably, and have commenced to
" deliver lectures on the subject. We also find that on one or two
" occasions persons have left written instructions to be cremated, but the
" relatives, on account of their objection to this mode of disposal, have
" disregarded the instructions left.
" Until cremation can be carried out at a much less figure than that at
" present charged, we fear that the progress of the cremation movement
" will be greatly retarded."