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69
by private cars to Charlton House where they sat down to an extra
special tea and were afterwards suitably entertained.
During the early part of December an excellent concert was
given at the Borough Hall for the benefit of 700 old people by the
Concert Party consisting of members of the Wire Room of Siemen's
(Brothers) Ltd.
Resulting from an invitation extended by the Vicar of Christ
Church, arrangements were made whereby a large number of old
people were enabled to participate in a Carol Service with tea and
biscuits following.
S.O.S. Scheme.—At the close of the current period, the Executive
Committee of the Greenwich Old People's Welfare Association
were considering a scheme whereby old people living alone and
unable to call upon immediate local help would be able to indicate
their need for assistance. Appropriate old people will be given to
display in their window a card which will bear a prominently printed
S.O.S. on one side and sources from which help can be obtained
printed on the other.
Co-operation for the scheme is to be sought from the various
organisations and from the local police.
Burial or Cremation of the Dead.—Under Section 50 of
the National Assistance Act, 1948, the Council is required to arrange
for the burial or cremation of any person who has died or has been
found dead in the Borough if in such cases it appears to the Council
that no suitable funeral arrangements have been or are being made.
The Council is empowered, if it so desires, to recover expenses
for the burial or cremation from the estate of the deceased person or
from any person who, for the purposes of this Act, was liable to
maintain the deceased person immediately prior to his death.
During 1955 arrangements were made under the above Act for
the burial of 6 bodies. The total expenses of these burials amounted
to 35 15s. 0d., of which the sum of £13 17s. 10d. was recovered,
making the nett cost to the Council of £21 17s. 2d.
Exhumations.—In addition to one ordinary exhumation and
re-internment at the Greenwich Cemetery, the bodies of 5 'Free
Norwegians' who died during the war period were exhumed for the
purposes of cremation and the return of their ashes to Norway.
In each case the Sanitary Inspector for the district was present to
see that the usual precautions were observed.