QUEEN'S MEMORIAL STATUE

Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 73

QUEEN'S MEMORIAL STATUE

By the San Francisco Mail which arrived yesterday morning Mr R. T. Wheeler, jun., secretary of the Quesn's Memorial Statue Committee, received the following letter from tho Hon. R. Oliver: — « London, -June 19. Dear Mr Wheeler, — Since I lasi, v.rote to you I got the London committee together at ,ilr Hampton's studio, and they expressed great satisfaction at the beauty of the model, and pract cally aJo;Ttc-d it. I cow by this post have tho pleasure of fending you a photograph of it, and we hope you will think of it as we do — that there is no statue of Queen Victoria up to this time winch compares with it in beauty. Mr Hampton is gom^; to make a slight alteration in the length of the neck, which he thinks the height of the pedestal and statue tends to make too short in appearance The contract has been prepared by his lawyer, and has been sent back by me with soms suggested alterations. It may be sa.id, however, to be agreed on. Under its provisions we pay him £2200, the odd £75 being taken off because we free him froru payment of insurance and freight. We shall have to pay h m on the signature of the Pgreement £iß'i 6? Bd, which, with the £250 already paid, will niske up one-third of the cost here. Us stipulates for three months in which to furnisn us with working drawings of the pedestal and steps. Of course, even thpt will allow ample time to build them ; but I Pin disappointed that I ennot send them earlier.

In a subsequent postcard the Ken. Mv Oliver stated that Mr Hampton had signed the agreement after the letter was posted. He intends to make the Queen's head a little smaller than it appears in the photograph.

Judging by the photograph of the model the statue will, when erected in position, be a worthy memorial of the great Queen it i-> intended to represent, and will be one cf the best works of art in the colony. The htatue represents Queen Victoria, in t' 1^ prime of life, in a standing position, weiring her crown and robes, and holding her sceptre in her baud. On the pedestal is a panel bearing her name, and also the year? of the commencement and end of her reign, 1337-1901 : while on each side is a mourning cherub. The panel is surmounted by the royal crown and a lion. On the fide 3of the pedestal appear excellent representations of the figures of Wisdom and Justice. The statue, which will bo about Bft 6in in height, will he composed of marble, the upper cube of the pedestal of white marble, the basement in grey granite, and the steps of bluestone. The figures of Wisdom and Justice will be made of bronze. In terms of the agreement, Mr Hampton will have the statue finished in from a year to 15 months after the signing of the contract. The specifications and... drawings for the pedestal and stepp are expected to arrive here in abo'ht three months. The committee, has not sufficient, funds to carry cut the whole thing, but, deeming it desirable to have the work done thoroughly, it haf> made arrangement* to that end. and will probably ask tho public for an additional sum.

The occupants of some of the offices in the Queen's Chambers, Wellington, were thrown into a great state of excitement on Monday afternoon (says the New Zealand Times), wheu it became known that a largr dilapidated rat, supposed to be '"suffering from symptoms resembling bubonic plague " had been captured within the building. Tho rodent was so bulky that it was scarcely able to move. After it had been murdered tha Health Department was communicated with, and the remains of the creature were removed to the Government laboratory in Sydney street for examination. The investigation is not yet completed.