THE GODLEY STATUE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12990, 18 December 1907, Page 6

THE GODLEY STATUE.

Seeing that a corporation has no bodily parts to be kicked, we presume that it is equally incapable of blushing. Surely, however, individual members of tho Chmtohurch City Council nrusit have blushed last night when the Mayor commundcuted tho offer of the Dean and Chapter of tiho Cathedral in reference to the Godley Statue. We need not remind our roadera what tbe Corporation of tho City of Cbristchuroh has done to the Cathedral square, which at on* time vtur the pride and glory of tho citizens. It should be one of the first duties cf suoh a body to preserve the beauty of the public places confided to Hβ care. It as not too much to say that the Christ church City Council seems to have set iteelf deliberately to disfigure and even to degrade Cathedral equare. As a foreground to the south end of tiho Cathedral it erected a hideous tank, the woodwork of which is now rotting in Not long ago tho Council tried to block Iho main entrance to the

Cathedral by a cabstand, but was fortunately prevented from carrying out this plan. In the centre of the Square was a little mound and enclo*uro of unique beauty flanked by trees and crowned by a noblo statue of tho founder of Canterbury. Tho CityCouncil placed a carriers' telephone hut of hideous design on tlie north side, a public urinal at the back, and finally completed thoir vandalism by erecting a so-called tramway shelter, with the result of screening theentke front and blocking out the view of the statue. Characteristically enough, oven in its most utilitarian aspect this structure leaves much to be desired. It serves for only a tithe of tho passenger*, boing practically useless for travel lore on the Woolston-Linwood, Sumner, Riccarton and New Brighton lines. It is equally characteristic that, while much moro effective provi*rion oould have been made for tho public with mucfli less disfigurement of the Square by erecting two shelters —at th© north and south sides of tho enclosures respectively— th© Council chose the plan which gave the maximum of disfigurement with tho minimum of public accommodation. It is at this juncture that 'tho Dean and Chaptor have come to tho rescue by offering a site for the Godley Statue in tho Cathedral grounds, at tho north side of tho edifice. There at least it would be safe from further indignities, and even members of the City Council, judging from the tone of the meeting last night, seem to havo come rather tardily to tho conclusion that this at least is duo to tho momory of Mr Godley. But, if wo are to judgo from tho Mayor's speech, the removal of tho Godley Statue would merely bo tho prelude to fresh atrocities on tho part of the CityCouncil. His Worship not only spoke of an extension of tho shelter northward, with a view to providina an entrance to "underground conveniences" to be placed in the Square, but actually hinted at tho possible removal of the mound with *its trees, in order to provide " more room " to relievo the "congested condition" of the Square. Wo confess wo can hardly write with patience of tho cool way in which these proposals aro put'forth, as if the beauty of tho Square—tho very contro of the city, which ought to ho its chief adornment—is a matter of no consequence whatever. Tho spirit in which the Dean and Chapter havo made their offer is in every way admirable, and deserves tho gratitude of the city. Beforo it is accepted', however, we should liko to see at least one determined effort made to preservo the centre of the Square a littlo moro as the founders of Canterbury intended it to be. Let tho City Council find out what it would cost to remove tho ill-designed shelter from its present illselected position, and let them seriously consider whethor it is not oven yet possible for them to repair tho hideous crime against good taste, to say nothing of the flagrant breach of trust which they have committed.