FOUNDATION STONE INSCRIPTIONS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18423, 2 July 1925, Page 4

FOUNDATION STONE INSCRIPTIONS.

(TO THE BULBING EDIIOB.) Sir,—Have ycu noticed the inscriptions on foundation stones of public edifices? Each, stone is reputed to have been laid by some notable person Everybody knows that a stone, weighing tip to a ton, could not possibly bo laid bv the higgest individual in tho land, whether the term "biggest" is applied to social rank, or avoirdupoi?, yet the obviously impossible is repeated on everv occasion—why is it? If one saw in the local museum a moas egg with a label inscribed": "This egg was laid bv a, house sparrow," one would lau«h "at tho. absurdity, yet it won.a be as near the truth as the foundation, stone inscription. Why not lnscnoe tbo truth on these stones? I am sure the only excuse that can be offered tor repeating the same old stuff on foundation stones is custom, and the absurdity of the. "little white lie" has never occurred to those responsible. lho following inscription would bo quite proper and in order and would certainly do unique:— Omnia Vincit Labor. August Ist, 1026. "This foundation stone was wrought by A. Mallet, tho foreman mason of this noble edifice. He. superintended the laying of this stone on its proper bed, and was assisted in this task by B. fjjquaxc, mason, I. Lash, scaffolder, and B. Mist and C. Mend, concrete hands. Lord Boneham, of Baconia, was specially prevailed upon to tap the stone with a. beautiful little' mahogany mallet and a. pretty little silver trowel. Having performed this useless ceremony to- tho'entire satisfaction of all present, with the exception of himself, he passed afew remarks laudatory of the. selected few that we're in closs • proximity to him. j The firm of Sketcheia arJd Blueprint gave a rough idea <*f what tho building would Icanc like when the real arcbitolts pot together and sorted .•JLt the possible from tho nilpMk. sible. Header, if thou seekeifct the monument to tho fketcl\ architects, call ab tho _ ahove\ firm's offices and they will show V you fairly good drawings of this \ itoble edifice, and they will bo \ really to admit quite freely ' 9 that this poem in stone, bricks, " plaster, wood, etc., could never \ naive existed had it not been for the clever craftsmen who erected this seekest the monument to these craftsmen, 0, gentle leader, '_ look around. Equal praise is due to all of them, for by their , combined efforts this building became what it is. The above inscription would certainly cause a flutter in architectural circles, but tho truth should carry tho innovation beyond the prejudices of custom: Every new.Bpa.pcr in tho land would comment on the new idea. The City would get a free advertisement and a new vopue in inscriptions would come into being. If it is desirable to have truth in architecture, why not havo the same virtue inscribed on foundation stones? —Yours, etc., A.C.