§ 117. Mr. Wild gives, on similar grounds, the following estimate of the practicable rates of expenses of interment with all decent appliances:—
| Tradespeople. | Mechanics. | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults. | Children. | Adults. | Children. | |||||||||||||
| From. | To. | From. | To. | From. | To. | From. | To. | |||||||||
| £. | s. | £. | s. | £. | s. | £. | s. | £. | s. | £. | s. | £. | s. | £. | s. | |
| Coffin | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 15 |
| Fittings, &c. | 0 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| Sundries | ||||||||||||||||
| Conveyance | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals | 3 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
§ 118. Next to the arrangements practicable for the regulation of the supplies of goods, the most important practicable arrangements for reduction of expense are those which may regulate the services necessary for interments. The item set forth in the above estimate of the charge for conveyance is on the supposition of separate conveyance in the present mode to the distant cemetery. With reference to the charge for the poorer classes, Mr. Wild was asked—
Might not several sets of mourners be carried in one conveyance?—Yes; that has often occurred to me, and it would tend to reduce the expense materially. When two or three children have died in one street, and they have had to be buried in the same cemetery, I have asked the parents whether, as they had to go to the same place, they objected to go in the same conveyance, and they have frequently stated that they had no objections. These were of the more respectable classes of mechanics.
In the fittings up of the coffins, is it considered that these would be as good as those now used?—Quite as good.
§ 119. One large item in the expense of funerals in the metropolis and populous districts is the expense of hearers, § 115, who are provided for each separate funeral. This expense is about 12s. for a set of bearers for the funeral of an adult of the working classes. Formerly common bearers were provided by the several parishes in the metropolis. Any arrangements of a national character would include the provision of a better regulated class of bearers at a greatly reduced expense. In the course of the examination of Mr. Dix, the following information was elicited:—
It has been suggested that, if the hearse were always used, the expense of bearers would be dispensed with in walking funerals. What do you conceive would be the case?—I conceive that that would not be the case, inasmuch as it would require bearers to remove the body from the house to the hearse, and from the hearse to the grave. But this difficulty might, I would suggest, be, to a great extent, obviated by the establishment of public bearers, who should have the exclusive right of removing all corpses, and whose rate of payment should be fixed.
What is the present rate of payment of bearers to the grave for the labouring classes?—It is 2s. 6d. each.
If public bearers were appointed, what might be the expense?—Much less than one-half.
Do you think that this principle of management would be satisfactory to the working classes?—It is in fact an old method. Formerly there were bearers in all parishes, appointed by the churchwardens. In the parish of St. Margaret’s, Westminster, and in most of the city parishes, the practice continues to this day. In the form of bills of the various parish dues the charge for bearers remains to the present day.