The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-01

tier
Th8 NeuU Parliament Build

Oanddldns VINO see 49, celehritie5
in the stone: Laurierfn the sueres
ton of a prominent nose, Borge,
in a curling mustache.
! The most important rooms Of *
. building are the meeting rooms -.
parliament. The cathedral afros
phere of the Gothic is strongly FL,
| in the two chambers. The housa ~
| commons chamber is done in liyh, /,
! colored grayish brown unpoIisbs
wood and pale green leather. n 4
members desks, made two togetl
er, like old-fashioned school desL II
| are along the sides Of the lorEi
room, the government party on Ii
right of the speaker, and the opns 4
sition on the left, leaving an ais
down the middle of the room froy
the speakers chair TO the don, 1
| The members on the two sides q
| the house face each other instes,
of all facing the speaker as in on,
capitol
The speakers throne is ore a, ,
the most Interesting points about
this room It is a replica of fra.
speakers chair in Westminster haN
London It is a<reaE thrones Brit
ish oak. very %1fgnifed with itsseIah-
crate carvings. and With tina rows
coat-of-arms over 1t This coat.
of-arms is probably the most his
torically valuable object in -
building. 1t was cared out
beam from old Westminster Ia
building that dates from 1900.
chair and coat-of-aLms were a
| to the house-of commons.
Canada's Library.
The senate chamber is sfnfIs
its general plan to the house
leather is here substituted
green Both rooms have beau, :
floors of Australian teak, a ] fsaS'
brown wood left unpublished. bfoie
cracks between the broad pla4 pee
are filed in with ebony. and re n ma
wooden pegs seen in the floor t. ~
the place of nails. aue
The decorations, such as gil , - on
or the ceilings, marble and ' o~i
carvings, and most Of the deta an.
different in the two chambers. +
senate, for the present has its " ~
decorated with a fine series of e. srery
large paintings lent by Cana ~
artists. Eventually these Will be
replaced by mural paintings. The
foundation for the work is all ready
for some Canadian artist to start
work.
A few of the portrait paintings of
past speakers were saved from the
fire to decorate the dim, arched cor
rfdors of the new structure.
Canada has bar n aU Of -
one Of these corridors where stat
ues and portraits of her best known
members are TO be placed. This
hall ends at the entrance to the
parliament library which joins the
building on this side. The library
to our library of con-
yress. 1t is not impressive as a
its 100000 Volumes seem
ng insignificant beside our national
collection of 100000 books.
The Canadian Official library IS,
however, beautiful bailding. It is
. polygOn-a SiXteen-sded edifice-
With spires to give il height. and
avish ornamentatiou both outside
nd in. The outstanding feature
# the reading room is a marble
statue of the young Queen Vic
oria carrying scpter and
wreath in her hands.
The fire of 1916 cane dangerous
Y close TO the library which joins
he parliament building on the one
ide. Yet very little damage was
one. The paTquet floor. warped
" water which flooded it, is the
My visible sign of the catastrophe
| good many books were soaked
trough, and after five years. these
INJURED volumes are still drying
nut No artificial heathas been al
owed to hasten the dwing process.
The library holds a firm place in
he affections and admiration Of
)ttawa. Otherwise, it would before
ow have been replaced by q large.
dequate structure with stack
ooms. reading rooms and offices.
his may be done some day. Bat
4 that event sentimelt would de-
nand that the library be left just 4,
S it is structurally. It would
be made Vahalla, some
hing like Statuary hal in the CAPT
OF at Washington.
The new library is probably a 4
0ng way off now TIE parliament
obstruction bill is colting Canada
etween $10.000,000 ami s11 ,000,0 00.
nd it is not a propitDus time for 1
ny but strictly urgelt projects.
he parliament building was urgent
nd Canada is making good job 1
f it. They claim its masonry II !
D solid that it should stand asthou-
and years.