THE POST OFFICE "DECORATIONS."

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10997, 21 June 1901, Page 4

THE POST OFFICE "DECORATIONS."

The manner in which the Government has seen fit to .--decorate" the Genctal Post Office, would rouse the indignation of the citizens did it not first move' them to laughter. Cheap, tawdry, and meretricious «it is, the"scheme—if scheme there be —must h© the inspiration, of a Nitremberg toy-maker or the conception 61 a* cheap pastry-cook. We noted with apprehension the skimpy perched in triplets on the gables; their thsee balls -•gules" like a pawnbroker* 1 * sign of the Advances to Set-t-era' Office; and the toy flags irresistibly suggestive of a child's birthday cake. But we passed this over in silence. Nor did we protest even when Royal arms over the north door were reversed; for we reflected that th.6 is the Antipodes, and ours is a topsy-turvy Government. But the hideous caricatures of the King and Queen, the Duke and Duchess, which have now been placed in position on thi east facade, are too offensive to be allowed to pass without the most emphatic protest. We are at a loss to understand how portraits—even the best—of our Royal visitors, can form an appropriate greeting to them, when, for the first time in the lives of most of us, we b-hold them in person. That surely is the one occasion when we wantno*"counterfeit presentments." But these daubs are net merely outrageous as likenesses, but absolutely hideous as pictures. No woman in Christchurch but wii resent the ugly smudge which purports to he a portrait of cur beautiful Queen. The face* of the Duke and Duoh__s are, in the meantime, discreetly veiled from ths gaze of an indignant public. We sincerely, trust that for the sake cf good manners and good taste, the rags of yellow muslin that now cover them up may he allowed to remain, at least until the Royal pair have passed through the square, People in town yesterday expressed a general hope that the wet weather woutd make the daubs "ran" out of all recognition ; but the rain, which dealt (hard with more artistic colours, unfortunately left these almost undamaged. Were these transparencies erected over a Chinaman's fruit store they might be forgiven as a crude attemptto join in the general rejoicing, and the good intention of the Celestial pleaded in ' condonation of his want of taste. But that these pitiable daubs should be used to express the welcome of the Government of the cctony is an intolerable affront to the city. The disfigurement of the Christchurch Post Office is the more offensive in that on the ' Post Office in Wellington {hundreds of pounds have been spent, with the result of producing an effect which it is said was not surpassed in Melbourne. The transparencies there used were from the brush of 'Mr Nairn, one of the most gifted artists in New Zealand. Moreover, there is-at least some officer in the service of the Department here .who haa good taste and an eye for artistic effect; for Ehe decorations on the Goveinmsnt Building in Worcester street are han-dsome and striking, and will not be surpassed in grace of lins or harmony of colour anywhere in the town. We hope the person responsible for this success may yet be called in to repair the bungling at the Post .Office... ■It is too late to replace (.he transparencies; but the decent brJtk of the Post Office wall is infinitely preferable, and the tasteful labours of the Decoration Committee deserve a better fate than to have their scheme of decoration marred by this eyesore in the very heart of the city. Let thfc gauds, in the name of common courtesy ar.d decent taste, be torn down before they make us tho hughing-stock of our visitors; and if tho perpetrators of the outrage are at a loss what to do with them, consign th-jm to a coal-cellar, as a Bishop of Durham .did a villa nous painting en the principle "Ars est cetlare artem."