QUEEN VICTORIA'S STATUE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 86, 12 April 1911, Page 4

QUEEN VICTORIA'S STATUE.

TO IHE EffllOß. Sir. — While feeling glad to see that the above question is again aUraclmg. attention, and drawing suggestions from

correspondents, I would like to remind thc&e interested of the euggeetiou that was, with your permission, made by me in ycur columns in the fiVrt week of November last. The re-erection of tliifi statue, as then suggested, on the Lamb-ton-quay frontage of Parliament House grounde was referred to a few days later in the House of Representatives, and the Prime Minister, in reply to questions, s?-id (aubstantially) for himself, and on behalf of the Government, that the suggestion wae a good one and would have their approval. It would be interesting, then, to knov/ what has happened since, that the City Council have now, according to the- papers, authorised the outlay of money for the removal of the statue to Kent-terrace. Have they discussed or considered the question, or entered into any communications with the Government on the matter? It vould cost no more, on the face of it, to remove the statue to Lambton-qua.y than to Kent-terrace, and who could raice any question or doubt as to which of the two positions would be the more dignified and worthy? In this connection, we may bear in mind occasional references in the Wellington papere. Perhaps a few other correspondents would be willing to express their opinions on the question, and so some impression might" be made. Other suggestions, and many of them, could no doubt still be made, such as that just mad-e concerning Mount Cook. This latter -would ceriainly mean the outlay of a lot of money, a lot of waiting and time, be,fore effect could possibly be given to it. What I have ventured to advocate, and now again desire to call attention to, could presumably be done at once, with very little outlay, with the support and approval of the Governmea.t, and with the result of placing the statue in a position to compare more favourably and worthily with which another suggestion, as an alternative, has still to be made. — I am, etc., W.W.M. 7th April, 1911.