The Campbell Statue Fund.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue XVII, 24 October 1903, Page 15

The Campbell Statue Fund.

The fund for the erection of a statue to Sir John Logan Campbell as a mark of the admiration of his fellow-towns-men for him as its premier citizen and pioneer settler, and also as a slight token of gratitude for his munificent gift of Cornwall Park to the city, has now been open to the public for some considerable time, and the funds in hand and promised reach a sum of £7OO, about one-half or less of the minimum amount required. The subject is naturally, and for obvious reasons, somewhat a delicate one to discuss openly in the press, but it must be admitted that this result is at first sight somewhat disappointing to all who feel, and feel strongly, that here is a thing which should be done—done quickly and as gracefully as possible. But it is better to boldly face the matter, because when one does so it at once becomes patent that there Is no need for disappointment, and that false delicacy may result in a wrong impression gaining ground and bringing about perhaps an untoward result. At first sight then, it might seem to the inexperienced that the dilatoriness of the Auckland public in practically expressing their appreciation was due to ingratitude; or at all events ungraciousness. This is emphatically not the case, and the fact cannot be too strongly Insisted uponEveryone in Auckland is conscious of what Sir John Campbell has done for the city he has seen grow from the titree gullies to one of the finest towns of the Southern Hemisphere, everyone is also grateful, everyone is willing to perpetuate that gratitude and that admiration in suitable form, but, and ’tis over this but that the whole difficulty up to the present has lain, everyone is waiting to be asked. Be it clearly understood no one wants pressing, and the very suggestion of “forcing” for subs, is, as the Mayor said, offensive and indeed the expression was under circumstances in a speech from His Worship scarcely felicitous, but people here have got so used to being canvassed, even for the things they would go out of their way to support without it, that they have sunk into the habit of waiting to be called upon. This is the single and whole fact of the case, and the sooner the committee recognise it the better. It is all very well to say it would be better “form”, better gratitude and more decent for the public to take the trouble to go up to one or other of the offices where subscriptions are received, this may be so, but people cannot change the lethargic and lazy habits engendered by climatic conditions and fossilised by custom. In the same way as a merchant waits for the traveller of a firm whose goods he actually wants, so he waits for the collector for the cause to which he positively wants to subscribe. If a proper and legitimate canvass is conducted, the funds for the Campbell Memorial Statue can be collected in a week. One understands the delicacy that has stood in the way of the procedure up to the present, Ipit it is false delicacy, as has been pointed out. and even if it were not, anything would, one imagines, be more agreeable to the person whose feelings It is most desired to consider than having the matter long drawn-out, and the consequent, but utterly wrong impression getting about that the public are apathetic. The public are not apathetic—far from it—but the approach to them must be made individually, not collectively; and, furthermore, it must be made at once! * * *