REST HOUSE IN SQUARE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16583, 16 November 1921, Page 4

REST HOUSE IN SQUARE.

CONDEMNED BY BISHOP JULIUS. Bishop Julius, who was invited to express his views regarding the possibility of the Godley Statue being moved back to the old site, said that if the Cathedral Chapter chose to hand the statue back to the city, the city would have to take it. But he did not want to see it moved, as it was very well placed at present. Speaking as a citizen, ” said the Bishop, in reference to the proposed rest room, “I think it is a perfectly disgraceful proposal. The City Council of to-day are giving away a splendid opportunity of making a beautiful centre to the citj’. Bit bv bit, now to the Tramway Board and now to somebody else, the whole thing is being spoiled. Anyone who knows the cities of the Old Country and. above all, of France, will realise how such sites as this have been kept religiously free of all disfigurements. “ Look at that horrible thing they have put up at Cashel Street,” Bishop Julius added. 11 From every point of view a thing like that, used for such purposes, ought to he as little obvious as possible. They have made it as obtrusive and ugly as possible. ” T want to see the centre of the city beautified,” the Bishop added, “ with shrubs and trees and grass, so that when you pass through the little gap into the Square you open on to something beautiful, instead of on to these horribly unsightly things they nro putting up. It is a shame to the city. That is my feeling about it. It has nothing to do with the Cathedral, but we do try to_ keep our Cathedral ground as nice as the people will allow us to keep it, and the rest of the Square might be made equally beautiful.”