CARILLON BELLS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 123, 25 May 1926, Page 6

CARILLON BELLS

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—ln view of the • remarkable way' in which the carillon movement, :"Bo ably engineered and led by the-Carillon Society, has seized .and held, the imagination. of ■ our. citizens, I would like to suggest that consideration he given to the -idea of increasing the number of bells to 52. By so doing, not only would opportunity be given to more well /wishers and sympathisers" to actually do.natev bell's,' but the scheme, would be brought "into lino with the. installation recently, inaugurated in-New York. • - Now "appears to be a golden opportunity,"while' the imagination of the people is thtfrtrtighly stirred and >hile the tide of patriotic fervour flows strongly in the direction of voluntary contribution and competition for individual bells, to improve both the scheme and financial 'tiSn.'"-; The success of the suggested idea would1: depend to great extent on how far, :if a£ all,1 the surplus* applicants ior the bells required would divert their subscriptions to; the building of the campanile. In rayr.^view,, many of such applicants—who . must „pf (..necessity be disappointed—would feel.less disposed to,make an equal-mone-'tary"g'fant to the building, of a tower.to -house the bells which they themselves have" been prevented from presenting. If that purly personal opinion is correct, then; the contributions. of those people would be either withheld or much reduced. Why nojt accept to the - full: what is so freely and generously offered when, by so doing, the artistic effects'capable of being produced from the enlarged scheme would be proportionately enhanced? . • . , Incidentally, I would strongly favour the suggestion of "Registered Architect" in to-night's 'Tost" that competitive designs for" the campanile be invited from all New Zealand architects. I: would go even-further in suggesting an Empire competition. The very best we can do is not half good, enough to' perpetuate the memory of those who nobly fell;—lam, etc., ' R. A. HAMERTON. ;;24th May. „: