PARK AND CEMETERY 
125 
Annual reports or extracts from them, historical sketches, 
descriptive circulars, photographs of improve7nents or dis- 
tinctive features are requested for use in this department. 
A number of fine elm and linden trees in the Granar)- 
Burying Ground, Boston, were in July attacked by the 
tussock moth, with a sprinkling of gypsy and browntails. 
Several of the trees were almost stripped of their foliage. 
With a view toward stopping the ravages of the pests 
the cemetery commission ordered spraying. In order to 
avoid the crowds the work was done in the early morn- 
ing beginning at daybreak. About a half-dozen men were 
engaged in the work. 
Twelve big trees were destroyed in Mt. Pleasant Cem- 
etery, Newark, N. J., in a recent storm, while others suf- 
fered the loss of large branches. 
* * * 
An official inspection of “Lawncroft," the new inter- 
state cemetery, near Claymont. Del., was made July 12 
by officers and directors of the cemetery company, 
undertakers, other business men and representatives 
of the press of Chester and Wilmington. In con- 
junction with an examination of the cemetery, the 
funeral car, recently built for the company, was inspected 
and given a successful trial. The party then boarded a 
trolley for Wilmington, where a dinner was served. 
5k * * 
The annual report of Superintendent D. D. England of 
Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Can., whose successful 
improvement of that cemetery has been deseribed in 
these columns, notes an expenditure of $7,500 and a 
steady inerease in the annual receipts since its regenera- 
tion, the receipts for the year being $945 in exeess of 
the former year. Four hundred and sixty-five interments 
took place, of these 135 were free. The free grave privi- 
lege. much abused in past years, is now carefully man- 
aged and only to those thoroughly deserving are free 
interment orders issued. The revenue received from all 
sources more than covers the amount spent annually for 
general maintenance, the construction work and per- 
manent improvements being an asset of more than equal 
value for the money spent. Citizens who have visited 
the cemetery recently express great satisfaction at the 
complete change that has been made in recent years. 
* * * 
Secretary E. N. Nockels, of the Chicago Federation of 
Labor, announces that five thousand trade unionists have 
already purchased certificates from the Union Buriat As- 
sociation, providing for a strictly union burial for them- 
selves or their families. In order to complete the plan 
of having trade union principles adhered to at the obse- 
quies of unionists it is now proposed that a union cem- 
etery be secured. Federation leaders have had the scheme 
under consideration for some time, and it is reported 
that secret negotiations for a site are in progress with 
an Oak Park real estate dealer. “We propose to conduct 
funerals for $50, says Mr. Nockels, “which will include 
all furnishings of union make except the shroud. If we 
can find a shroudmakers’ union in the country we will 
place our order with the firm employing its members. 
We will make a profit of but $6 or $7 on each funeral, 
but we expect to receive enough calls to enable us to 
secure a total at the end of the year that will be satis- 
factory." 
* * * 
The Jewish Cemetery, the entire south half of Mt. 
Moriah Cemetery, Butte, Mont., and all the land inter- 
vening between the Catholic and Protestant cemeteries 
has been staked out to comprise a ten-acre placer gold 
claim, known as the Palm Leaf placer. Herman Mueller, 
a wealthy saloonkeeper, declares that there is gold in 
the cemeteries and claims that the land commissioner 
ruled that the ground was a government common. The 
ground is supposed to be the property of the Northern 
Pacific Railway Company and was given, by courtesy 
of the company, to the various denominations desiring 
burying grounds. The cemeteries maintain that they have 
good titles to the lands, and the matter will be carried 
into the courts. 
* * 
The Sunday funeral question continues to receive more 
or less attention all over the country, says the Embalm- 
ers’ Monthly. At a recent meeting of the Ohio Cemetery 
Superintendents this Sunday question was discussed, and, 
while no formal action was taken, the sentiment of the 
members of the association was strongly against the con- 
tinuance of Sunday funerals. No Sunday funerals have 
been held in Cleveland for the past four years, while 
within the last year the custom of holding funerals on 
Sunday has been stopped in Dayton, Springfield. Lima 
and Washington Court House. At Pasadena, Cal., the 
undertakers, hearse drivers, sexton and others have made 
an effort to secure the abolition of the practice, and the 
ministerial union has adopted resolutions binding its 
members to urge their parishioners to assist in putting a 
stop to Sunday interments. At Hamilton, Out., the Cem- 
tery Board is being urged to put a stop to funerals on 
Sunday. At Steubenville, Ohio, the Ministerial Associa- 
tion has declared against the Sunday funeral, and it is 
understood that the officials of the Forest Home Ceme- 
tery Association, Milwaukee, acting with some of the 
clergy, have decided to permit no more Sunday inter- 
ments in that cemetery except in urgent cases. At Bal- 
timore the Hack Drivers’ Association recently passed 
resolutions requesting clergymen to aid them in stopping 
funerals on the Sabbath. Every month adds to the num- 
ber of bodies taking a stand on this subject. 
+ * * 
In an opinion of the state board of tax commissioners 
of Washington given to A. L. Knapp, assessor of Stevens 
county, it is held that the part of cemeteries not tenanted 
by the dead and held by private parties for profit is tax- 
able while burial grounds held by municipalities, churches 
and corporations not for profit are not taxable. In re- 
gard to the burying grounds used for profit, the opinion 
says : 
“This board takes notice that municipalities, churches, 
sects and creeds, lodges and fraternal organizations do 
not hold burial ground for profit and gain, and, therefore, 
directs you that all graves wheresoever situated and all 
lands used exclusively for burying ground or place of 
sepulture, where the same is not held with a view to 
profit, or for the purpose of speculation in sale thereof, 
whether the grounds belong to municipality, corporation, 
church or society, are exempt from taxation. There are, 
(Continued on p. VI.) 
