Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-10-01
THE NEW. PARLIAMENT


which public life in this city revolves is Parlia-
ment Square. Ordinarily, the Parliament Build
ing is a dignifed background for the legislative
and government business of the Dominion. But
right now. interest in the building itself is keen,
for the new Parliament Building is nearing
completion. By next year. 1t will be entirely
finished. save for some of the detail carvings,
which may keep workmen busy for ten or
twelve years longer.
1t was on the night of February 8, 1916, you
may remember, that the Canadian Parliament
Building burned. The catastrophe was thought
by many people to be the work OF an alien army,
perhaps an employee in the building. Investi-
cations left the big fire as much of a mystery
become. The parliament fire may have been an
accident, but Ottawa, recalling the attempt on
the Capitol at Washington during the war, still
suspects incendiary motives. -
Congress was sitting in night session when the
fire broke out at . O'clock, The members es-
not sufficient to reach the top of the tall central
tower of the building and 1t was Quilted. What
was left Of the great building was so wrecked
and water-logged that attempts to renovate 1t
were futile.
SO Canada set out to rebuilding and to raise
a finer ediice over the ruins of the old one. Tine
first Parliament Building, which had stood since
1S60. was regarded as one of the most famous
structures in North America, and the new one
promises to be even more distinguished.
Except that 1t is three stories taller than
before, the building from the exterior looks in
general the same. both for sentiments sake, and
because it must conform to the East and West
blocks-buildings on either side which cores
pond more or less to our House and Senate office
buildings. 1t is, therefore, of cream colored
sandstone, which time darkens to a rich, warm
shade.
The building is thirteenth century Gothic in
style. with ali the carvings, gargoyles. arches.
and angles that go with this cathedral type Oh
architecture.
1t is in outline a very long, building with low
towers at the corners and a very tall tower and
spire rising 500 feet in the middle. This tower
is to hold a carlton of forty-nine bells. In it,
too, is to be a war memorial room to 10000 Can
adams who lost their lives in the war. France,
Belgium, and Great Britain have sent stone to
build this memorial room. The floor is black
Belgian marble. The columns are of st. Anne's
marble. In the center on a dais is to be a
Book inscribed with the names OF
Canada's fighters in the war, and in the floor
will be a record of tho regiments.
The whole building is in many ways a war
memorial. On the exterior, for instance, there Is
an arch in the stone, decorated by carvings.
Letters cut in the stone spell Vimy Ridge, re-
calling one of the big Canadian victories. Vlmy
Ridge, Canadians regard as the place where
they gave the confident kaiser his first fright.
So the carving shows on one side or the arch
a typical German head, cut in Keller with the
eyes blindfolded, representing the German peo-
pie at this time. Opposite is the head OF the
kaiser with his mustache turned down and an
expression of dismay on his face. And above,
the story is completed by a carving of a very
vicious looking goat-the kaiser's.
The carvings about the building are full OF
interest. There are numberless heads about the
size OF a small cannon ball in the
ton of arches, windows, and pillars. Some are
weird grotesques, gryphons and gargoyles. Oth-
ers are human heads. One of the stone cutters
is said to have immortalized his own features IN
one. and a good many are carieatures of the
leading statesmen OF Canada. A cabinet offcer
or NJ. p. of Canada is represented by some dis
tinguishing feature, as We recognize the Roose-
welt smile, and the Lodge whiskers. SO, these
little stone heads are a source OF delight to can
adams who see their celebrities in the stone:
Laurier in the suggestion of a prominent nose
Borden in a curling mustache.
The most important rooms of the building are
the meeting rooms for parliament. The cathe-
dral atmosphere of the Gothic is strongly felt
in the two chambers. The House OF Commons
chamber is done in light-colored graylsh brown,
unpublished wood and pale green leather. the
members desks, made two together, like old
fashioned school desks, are along the sides OF
the long room, the government party on the
right of the speaker, and the opposition on the
left, leaving an aisle down the middle OF the
room from the speakers chair to the door. The
members on the two sides of the House face
each other instead OF all facing the speaker as
in our Capitol.
The speakers throne is one of the most inter-
esting points about this room. 1t is a replica OF
the speakers chair in Westminster Hall, Lon
don. 1t is a real throne of British oak, very
dignifed with its elaborate carvings, and with
The royal coat-ot-arms over 1t. RMS coat-oi-
arms is probably the most historically valuable
object in the building. 1t was carved out or a
beam from old Westminster Hall. a building that
dates from 1900. The chair and coat-of-arms
were a gift to the House of Commons
Canada's Library.
The senate chamber is similar in its general
plan to the House. Red leather is here substl-
tuted for green. Both rooms have beautiful
floors of Australian teak, a light brown wood
left unpublished. The cracks between the broad
planks are filled in with ebony, and round wood
en- pegs seen in the floor take the place OF nails
The decorations, such as gliding of the cell
ings, marble and wood carvings, and most OF
the detail is different in the two chambers The
senate, for the present has its walls decorated
with a fine series of eight large war paintings
lent by Canadian artists. Eventually these Will
be replaced by mural paintings. The foundation
Tor the work is all ready Tor some Canadian
al list to start work.
A few OF the portrait paintings of past speak
ers were saved from the fire to decorate the 0ALa,
arched corridors of the new structure.
Canada has her Hall of Fame in one OF these
corridors where statutes and portraits of her best
known members are to be placed. This hall ends
joins the building on this side. The library cor
responds to our Library of Congress. 1t is not
impressive as a collection, its 100000 volumes
seem insignificant beside our national collec-
ton of 3.000,0 900 books.
The Canadian official library is, however, a
beautiful building. 1t is a polygon-a sixteen
sided edifce-with spires to give it height, and
outstanding feature of the reading room Is a
marble statue of the young Queen Victoria ear
rying a scepter and a wreath in her hands.
The fre of 1916 came dangerously close to the
library, which joins the Parliament Building on
the one side. Yet very little damage was done.
The parquet floor. warped by water which flood
ed it, is the only visible sign of the catastrophe.
A good many books were soaked, though, and
after five years, these injured volumes are still
drying out. No artificial heat has been allowed
to hasten the drying process.
The library holds a firm place in the affections
and admiration of Ottawa. Otherwise, 1T would
before now have been replaced by a large, ade-
quate structure with stack rooms, reading rooms
and offices. This may be done some day. But
in that event sentiment would demand that the