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44
The Superintendent of the Corporation Crematorium at Bradford, referring
to the year's work, remarks :—
"These figures are not large, and we cannot say that we have made
"much progress during the year. I believe, however, that cremation is
"becoming more widely known and better understood. Still the people
"are not sufficiently educated on the subject."
Referring to the decrease in the number of Cremations carried out during
the year by the London Cremation Company, both at Woking and Golder's
Green, the Secretary writes :—
"The growing interest in the subject of Cremation is evidenced by
"the increased number of enquiries and the large number of visitors who
"avail themselves of the facilities offered for inspecting the buildings
"and apparatus when a cremation is not proceeding, gives us reason to
"think that the set back is quite a temporary one, and not to be regarded
as a decline in the movement."
The Secretary of the Scottish Burial Reform and Cremation Society, Ltd.,
Glasgow, remarks :—
"We are finding as the years go past that Cremation as a means of
"disposing of the dead is gradually gaining in public favour."
The Manager of the Leeds Crematorium notes that:—
"The progress seems to be slow, and the prejudice against Cremation
"stubborn."
The suggestion has been made that the Home Office Regulations should no
longer require : (1) the applicant to make a Statutory Declaration ; and
(2) that the second certificate should not be confined to a limited body of
medical men, but that any medical practitioner who has been on the Register
for five years, should, without further qualification, be permitted to sign the
second certificate.
It has been said that the retention of these regulations tends in a great
measure to retard the spread of Cremation, but I am quite unable to endorse
this opinion.
Opponents of Cremation would be only too ready to make adverse use of
any attempts to relax the present regulations which, very properly, have been
made exceedingly stringent, and it would certainly be most unwise to lend
any countenance to the suggested alteration.
It will be seen from the foregoing that apart from the slight set-back of
last year, the practice is steadily increasing in favour in this country.
In other countries the movement is making steady advancement, as will be
seen from the following figures.*
* The figures, &c., in the following notes are taken from the German publication "Die Flamme," kindly
placed at my disposal by the Secretary of the Cremation Society of England.