CITY DECORATIONS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12540, 29 June 1901, Page 5

CITY DECORATIONS.

TO THB EDITOB. gj r I -was .pleased- to read your comments upon tli a decorations of the crty, and I fully endorse every word thew« mentioned. The attempt was without doubt an insult to the intelligence andtete of the citizens. Looking through the list of the committee entrusted. to carry out the work, one would have thought that it was almost impossible for that body oi men to be carried away with such a complete rag show. Had they been called mon to eater for a gingerbread stall, aunt saPv or knock ’em down show, as seen at the old English fairs, I should have concluded that they had carried out their work In a very fair manner. But when for a reception of Royalty, what shall we say? They utterly failed to grasp the work entrusted to them, and when the combined committee meet they should receive their well-earned desserts 1 that is, a vote of

censure. You state that the citizens did not make any attempt to decorate their buildings. The reason for that was simply this, that they were undter the impres-. Sion that they would spoil 'the effect of the great scheme that had 'been proposed for them ! The whole thing can only be regretted, and the best thing that can now -be done is to collect all the rags, place them in a heap, well tar them, and bum them, taking care to have the architect well in the middle of it, so that, we shall not have another of his schemes at the Coronation day. Had the native flora been used, as you suggested) some time back, aided by a Kttle bunting, the whole streets would have presented park-like vistas throughout the whole route, giving a cheerful and refreshing appearance, and the work could have been done at onefourth the cost,. Instead of that we get bunting tied on a bare clothes line, Venetian masts (dressed in bloomers), shields without a bit of green to form a border and give a little relief. In conclusion, I must give someone credit for placing wreathing around the rails at , the Godly statue. That was quite right, because there Is a nice patch of green grass on the other side of the rails, showing up the wreathing to perfection.—! am, etc., NATIVE FLORA.