THE "COMFORT STATION."

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17318, 2 December 1921, Page 2

THE "COMFORT STATION."

AN AUCKLAND COMMENT.

Christchurch is not the only city w which a public body can offer such an affront to the public seflse of what m fitting as the proposal to erect a '•comfort station" in the Square. In Auckland the Harbour Board has defaced the fine waterfront by the erection or a hideous iron shed —the effect of whicn has been descril>ed as like that which would bo produced by tile efforts of a man who should erect a sumrac. house made of rusty old kerosene tins just inside his own front gate. All Auckland is in an uproar, and the papers are printing columns of names of objectors. , , ~ A writer in the Auckland Star ("Cyrano") has a very good artier about it. and he brackets the villainous scheme with the Christchurch City Council's proposal to erect a ''comfort station" on the Godley site. Concern-1 ing this, "Cyrano" says:— ( in this respect, of course Auckland does not suffer alone. Christchurch, that beautiful and tidily kept Cathedral town, has just been providing an example of the same sort of thing. 1 j municipal glory of Christchurch is, :f | not Hugley Park and the Gardens, Cathedral square. This large space, dominated by the Cathedral, has presented magnificent opportunities for further treatment on noble lines, but the City Council has been more intent on making it a tram terminus than on developing beauty and civic dignity. Out in the 'Square is an island mound of grass and trees, on which until recently stood the stiltue of John Robert Godlev, founder of Canterbury. The Godley statue has claims to be considered the finest statue in New Zealand. A sculptor rarely succeeds in making a subject look impressivo in the coat and trousers of every-day modern life; this is one of the successes. Some v-eara ago they planted a tram shelter right in front of the distinguished man, so that you saw Godley, not as the artist intended him to be seen, on top of 1 pedestal proportionately designed, but cut off somewhere about his legs or middle by the roof of the shelter. It was about this time, or it may have been a little earlier, that the question of providing public conveniences in the Square was considered, and it was actually proposed that these should be built on or beside the site of the statue, and Godley should be Spaced on top of the structure 1 . After God'ey had remained for some years -truncated by the shelter, he was removed to the Cathedral grounds on the east side of the Square, on the understanding that it' the ground was wanted for Cathedral extension lie was to be taken hack to his "island." The Council, however, has other ideas about that pleasant spot. At its last meeting it decided to build a "comfort station'' for womefl . and children on. "this reserve. Some people would call a "comfort station-'' by a plainer name. Wlien tTift question of the ultimate fate of the Godley statue was raised, a Labour member suggested putting it on the top of the "station." Another suggestion was that the ''station," which it is proposed shall he a low structure, might be camouflaged with pot plants. All this in the middle of the only real oity square in New Zealand —the centre of the life of a cathedral and university city! Nearly as bad was the oounterproppsal that the "station" should be built near the statue of Captain Scott on part of the beautiful reserve that follows the windings of the manywillowed Avon. These things leave you almost speechless—especially if you are fortunate enough to know Christchurch. What is one to do with such people? Of course neither plan will be carried out in the face or the' overwhelming opposition that at once declared itself; but that such ideas should he approved or even proposed is weilnigh heart-breaking.