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THE BUILDING NEWS. Jan. 19, 1872.
REPLIES. (2414.]—Percentage.—If “tan architect is most certainly justified in charging per centage upon mate- rial proyided by the proprietor” in the estimation of “Q. R.”—a sentiment I most assuredly endorse—why, in common fairness, is a surveyor to be prohibited from making a charge under circumstances precisely similar? Will *Q. R.” or any other intercommunicant kindly state why, and, if possible, quote precedent, custom, or recognised authority for such ruling, or at least ‘‘render a reason” for prescribing diverse sauce for goose and gander? J can cite an instance where the item in question, challenged at the onset, was ulti- mately allowed.—F. [2422.)—Bay Windows.—The consent of the Metropolitan Board of Works given for the projection of a building beyond the general line of frontage does not prevent any person who may be injured thereby from pursuing hislegal remedy. The Board acts upon public grounds only, and does not profess, nor has it the power, to protect merely private interests.—R. Q. [2424.])—Builder’s Profit.—These charges are usually governed by a list of prices concocted and issued by the leading builders in the locality. Exceptional circumstances may account for the disparity—say, for instance, the nature or quality of the work performed, the extent of supervision required, difference in length of credit to be given, amount of discount demanded on payment, percentage necessary to defray cost of col- lecting, lodgings, travelling expenses, wealth or poverty of employer, status, or mayhap rapacity of builder. 94d. would suffice under ordinary circumstances, 9}d. for extraordinary.—F. [2429.]|—-Size of Schools.—If ‘‘S. W. J. G.” had studied the instructions of the Council on Education a little more, and deyoted half an hour to T square, pencil, and paper, at the end of that time he would have found that there was no necessity to take up your valuable space by asking foolish questions. These latter, Iam sorry to say, seem to be on the increase, as witness the one signed ‘* Constant Reader,” relative to the colours used to represent old thatch. Why does not ‘‘ Constant Reader ” exercise his individuality a little? We will find it far more conducive in the end, to true artistic excellence, than any second edi- tions of other people’s methods can possibly be.— Wed. C. [* W. If. ©.” is very hard upon young inquirers. All are not wise alike, and all have not had the same experience. The queries which he sneers at are quite legitimate for “* Intercommunication.” Every one may not have the instructions of the Council at hand ; and there are yarious ways of representing old thatch on paper or canvas. If **W. H.C.” enjoys a wealth of experience, he should remember there was atime when he knew less, and that there are others in a similar position to what he once was. A matter may be trivial to one person and important to another, and “W. H.C.” should remember that it is the privilege of the well- informed to help inquirers.—ED,] ——_—_{__ Our Oftce Table, ed Tue Benuar Coat Company, Lunirep.-—Anew company, with a capital of £200,000, in 20,000 shares of £10 each, but of which only 15,000 shares are at present offered, is being formed for acquiring and working the well-known Benhar coal-field, nearly equidistant between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The field presents the advantages of superior coal at moderate depth, easy access to many markets, and a widely-established reputation. Cuurcn Exrenston.—The Incorporated Society for promoting the enlargement, building, and re- pairing of churches and chapels held its monthly meeting on Monday afternoon, at 7, Whitehall, 5.W. Grants of money were made in aid of the following objects, viz. :—Building a church at Far- lington, near Havant; enlarging or otherwise in- creasing the accommodation in the churches at Botus Fleming, near Hatt, Cornwall; Great Dunmow, Essex ; Ivinghoe, near Tring; Liverpool, S. James the Less; Madley, near Hereford; and Shalford, near Braintree. Under urgent circumstances, the grant formerly made towards reseating and restor- ing the church at Syston, near Leicester, was in- creased. Grants were also made from the School Church and Mission House Fund towards building, &e., mission churches at Bermondsey, 8. James, Surrey ; Cwm-ys-gwydd, in the parish of Gelligaer, and Newark, in the parish of S. Mary, Peter- borough. GuAscow.—The trustees of Haldane’s Academy of the Fine Arts have made arrangements with Pro- fessor Kerr, of King’s College, London, to deliver in the Corporation Galleries, upon the evenings of the 28rd and 26th of January, two popular lectures on “Architecture, the Fine Art of Building,” the first treating of the Classic and the second of the Gothic style, and each illustrated by drawings. Professor Kerr will lecture to also the Architectural Section (late ‘the Architectural Society”) of the Philosophical Society. Mr. Barclay, a nephew of
| the Principal of the University, is just now giving a course of lectures to the architectural pupils in the School of Art. Improvep Woopen Pavement.—About 400 square yards of Bartholomew-lane, (south end) have recently been laid with a wooden pavement of some- what curious coustruction. The pavement varies according to the traffic and other circumstances In Bartholomew-lane it is laid on a bed of sand, of depth sufficient to form a good grade, say from lin. to 2in.; on that a flooring is laid, which consists of two thicknesses, one laid on horizontally, the other trans- versely, each thickness consisting of a in. board prepared with tar. Upon these boards, blocks of wood measuring Yin. by din. by Sin. are laid, and between each row of blocks astrip of wood lin, by #in. is nailed to the flooring, the object being to steady the blocks in their places during construction. After being thus laid the spaces or joints are filled with hot gravel, upon which hot tar or pitch is poured. This is rammed tight home, and again repeated until the spaces are filled up. Subsequently, another appli- cation of tar is made over the surface, on which a dressing of fine gravel is thrown; when dried the pavement is complete. ArcuirEcts v, Apverrisers.—In the Gazette des Beaux Arts, M. Garnier, the architect of the new Opera, raises his voice against an abuse which is uot confined to Paris, but offends the eye in every capital. The huge placards and inscriptions of en- terprising advertisers have, says M. Garnier (and many will agree with him), a corrupting influence on the public taste; and he sees a convincing proof of this in the fact that numbers of people, at first shocked, have ended by accustoming themselves to the hideous lines and colours of the announcements stuck and painted on the walls. M. Garnier, besides constituting himself the champion of the public in this matter, addresses to the municipal authorities of Paris an excellent argument on his own behalf. Mr. Cobden, observes the Pall Mall Gazette, provoked by a duellist, wrote a letter informing him that he ‘paid his taxes to be protected against ruflians.” M. Garnier’s object in paying his taxes is, it appears, to be protected against the frightful devices of mural advertisers. ‘I have a right, he says, ‘‘to claim that the city I live in shall be clean, well-kept, agreeable to the eye, adorned here and there with a little art ; and I consider my money wasted when I fird the public walls disfigured by the coarse and clumsy inscriptions of insolent advertisers.” Spwer VENTILATION AND SEWER FLusurnc.— Dr. Whitmore in his last medical report says :— “Tt has struck me as a singular omission that al- though the writers of the numerous letters which have recently appeared in the Times on the subject of ‘sewer ventilation’ are very fertile in expedients for carrying off the poisonous. gases from our sewers, it has occurred to none of them to suggest that a possible mode of overcoming the difficulty would be by getting rid of the fetid depesits which generate them. ‘Remove the cause and the effect will cease’ is a trite axiom, and I cannot help thinking that if a well-devised system of sewer flushing were resorted to at frequent intervals, it would be found that the present method of ventila- tion by air gratings would be sufficient for all sani- tary requirements. How this is to be efficiently done must, of course, be a subject for the con- sideration of sewer engineers, but that it can be done, and that it has frequently been done in Mary- lebone parish, I myself can testify.” Tur AMALGAMATED Socrery or CARPENTERS AND Jorners.—The split in the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, which took place last May, is to be discussed before Mr. A. K. Stephen- son, barrister; and the result will finally decide whether the council sitting in London, or that sitting in Manchester, is the proper body to control the affairs of an immense trade organisation, number- ing over 10,000 members. The London council based its claim to control upon due election and possession of all the property, documents, and re- cords of the society.
Cuersrer.—A lecture was delivered before the Chester Archwological Architectural and Historic Society, on Friday evening, by Mr. Alfred Rimmer, “On the Decline of English Architecture after the Fourteenth Century.”
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Grants have recently been made to the under- mentioned churches by the Chester Diocesan Open Church Association:—Christ Church, and 8. James the Less, Liverpool; §. Cleopa’s Mission Room, and the lron Church, in Windsor-street, Toxteth Park; Holy Trinity, Birkenhead ; and 8. James's, Haydock,
near Wigan. In all these churehes the principles of | the association are adopted andacted on, unreserved | Seats and weekly offertory.
CHIPS. A vicarage is about to be erected for the district of 8. John the Evangelist, Accrington. The design has been intrusted to Mr. William S. Varley, architect, Blackburn. Mr. Ruskin’s offer of £5,000, for the purpose of an endowment to’:pay a Master of Drawing in the Taylor Galleries has, with some modificatiors, ap- proved by Mr. Ruskin, been cordially accepted by the University of Oxford. The new clock tower affixed to the cast end of the new Hall of the Inner ‘’emple has been completed. The Hall was formally opened about a year ago; but at that time it was ina very unfinished condition. The clock has four faces, the dials of which are white, andthe hands and figures gold. Mr. Arthur Cates was the architect. ; A piece of land adjoining the Lombard Exchange, Lombard-street, has just been sold for £9,000, or about £19 4s. 6d. per foot super. In excavating the site of 117, Newgate-street, which is being reconstructed, the workmen of Mr. Heeps, the builder, came upon a portion of the old London wall. It was found at a depth of about 7ft. from the surface. 8. Mildred’s Church, Poultry, being about to be demolished, it is intended to remove the remains of all persons buried in the church to the City of London Cemetery at Ilford, or elsewhere, at the expiration of the prevent month. The Lord Mayor of York has laid the foundatior— stone of a drill shed for the yolunteers of that city, the cost of which will be between £3,000 and £4,000. The magistrates of Kent have determined to erect a new lunatic asylum, capable of accommodating 1,000 patients. The ceiling of the National Schools, Great George-street, Salford, fell in on the morning of the 15th inst., seriously wounding two children, and slightly injuring six others. The accident was occasioned by two gasfitters walking on the ceiling joists, described as being 1}in. in thickness, without wallhold, or other adequate support. The Victoria Hall, Sunderland, erected at a cost of £10,000, with accommodation for 3,000, was opened onthe 8th inst. The subscriptions for rebuilding S. Mary's, Crumpsall, near Manchester, lately destroyed by fire, already exceed £2,000. The local board of Holywell have resolved to erect a market-hall. Tt has been decided that the projected memorial to the late Sir John Simeon, Bart., M,P. for the Isle of Wight, shall be in the form of a monumental cross, the probable site being the “Pound,” in the upper portion of the High-street, Newport, the capital town of the island. The preservation of the little Saxon Chapel at Bradford-on-Avon is now engaging the attention of the Committee of the Wilts Archwological Society, and it is earnestly hoped that, this invaluable relic of Saxon architecture may be preserved. The vacant county surveyorship of the east riding of York has been filled by the appointment of Mr. Charles Booth Jones to the post. Mr. Jones was the successful candidate at the open competitive exami-#” nation for this appointment held last month. The salary is £400 a year. The second prize for a scheme for snow-melting has been awarded by the Commissioners of Sewers to Mr. J. S. Farrar, who proposed that the snow should be swept up to the centre of wide streets and the sides of small ones—then to be carted away and thrown into the Thames, vacant spaces, the main sewers, and into heated troughs. The Streets Committee, who had the awarding of the prizes, re- ported that their difficulty was to fix upon any scheme worthy of the prizes. We suppose this is the reason why it has taken the Committee four or five years to arrive at a decision in the matter. ee MEETINGS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. Monvay,—RoyAat Institute OF BRITISH ARCHI- rretrs.—‘* On the Construction of the Albert Hall.” By General Scott, R.E. S$ p.m. TUESDAY.—INSTITUTION OF CIVIL 8 p.m. FRIDAY. — ARCHITECTURAL Association. — “Do mestic Stained Glass.” By Mr. Lewis F. Day. 7.30 p.m. —_——<— Grade AWelws. ——$ ——— WAGES MOVEMENT. Morvey.—The quarrymen of Morley, near Dews- bury, have asked an advance of 2s. per week, with time limit of 49} hours. SHEFFIELD.—The edge tool workers, file smiths, and file forger’s of Sheffield haye asked for an increase of wages. Some of the employers have promised im- mediate consideration, but others haye postponed the matter until the spring. ENGINEERS.— fA
