= Rep, 16, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. 143
of its four interior angles. — Pripraux, Clerk of
Works.
[2456.]—Obstructing Light.—“J.R.” cannot build
in a way that obstructs thelight. The right of window
light is declared to become absolute and indefeasible
after the enjoyment for twenty years, unless such en-
joyment be had under a written agreement.—T.
BAILEY.
[2458.;—Commission on Works not Execu-
ted.—Whether a contractor is to be allowed, in the
measuring up at completion, a profit on the value of
omitted works depends entirely on the exact contract.
Sometimes the contract provides that the omitted
works are to be deducted according to a schedule in
which the prices are fixed; in other cases at such prices
as the architect may determine, haying reference to the
contract sum—i.e., if the contract sumis, in his opinion,
alow one for the amount of work to be performed,
the deductions are to be made at proportionate low
prices, to be fixed by the architect. If the contractor
has a good or high sum for his contract sum, then the
prices for the omitted (and extra) works are to be fixed
proportionately high. Im neither of these cases is any
profit to be allowed to the builder. But in other cases
it is stipulated that extra works are to bear a fixed
and mentioned percentage of additional profit, and
that a certain percentage is to be deducted from the
omitted works before the amount of them is deducted
from the contract sum. In this latter case the summary
of account would stand thus :—
Contract sum ........06 £5000 0 0
Extra Works . (oa)
Add extra profit as p
in contract at 2} per cent. 11 5 0 461 5 0
£5461 5 O
Omitted works .............. 200 0 0
Less 5 per cent., as provided
UM COMETACEigecceansesexarsane 10 0 0 190 0 0
£5271 5 0 “This last example speaks for itself. Building contracts are now so various that each case must be treated ac- cording to the wording and meaning of the written instrument.—R. L. [2458.;,—Commission on Works not Execu- ted.—I do not know what may be the custom of London architects with regard to allowing the contractor a commission on works not executed, although described ; but it is the custom of engineers in the North to do so, provided the value of the works executed, including extras, falls within the original contract amount. The difference is termed ‘‘short works,” and a commission for loss of profit is allowed.—Z. [2459.]—_Mastic Cement.—Mastic cement is made from the following composition: 2 parts of mastic sand, 1 part of whitening or white lead, mixed with boiled oil to the thickness required. ‘J. C.” will find “‘Chiyrieul on Colour” an excellent treatise on the harmony of colour; he will find it in Bohn’s Scientific Library.—T. BarLey. [2461.]—Strength of Iron Girders.—The proof strength should be from two and a half to three times the working live load, and the ultimate strength at least twice the proof strength. I do not know that experiments have yet been made which definitely de- cide the second part of the question, but for cast-iron girders the safe deflection may be taken at one-fortieth of an inch for each foot of span under a test load of one-third the breaking weight.—E. ee ee eee LEGAL INTELLIGENCE. CoNCRETE WALLS.—IMPORTANT QuESTION.—Mr. Ingham heard a case last week, at the Wandsworth Police-court, of considerable interest to the building trade, in a summons at the instance of the Metro- politan Board of Works, with reference to the build- ing of a concrete wall in Lombard-road, Battersea, which was not comformable to their licence, which required the materials used to pass through a mesh or screen not exceeding two inches in diameter. Mr. Hanson, the district surveyor, said ‘ packing,” consisting of pieces of pottery, &c., had been used with the concrete, thereby making it an irregular, wall. From a general view of the wall, he was bound to say it was extremely hard. He, however, said that the materials should be mixed and con- glomerated together on the ground before being put into the cases. Mr, Tall, the builder and patentee of the cases, said the wall would not stand without “‘packing.” Mr. Newton, an engineer, gave a description, with the assistance of a model, of the use of “packing.” He said there was a layer of concrete, then a layer of pieces of brick or stone, and so on, which formed the wall, the materials being thrown in by unskilled labour. He proceeded to say that the whole of the concrete passed through a mesh, but the packing was added to increase the strength of the wall. He argued that the use of packing was in compliance with the Act, which required walls to be properly bonded together. Therefore he was of opinion that a licence from the Board was unnecessary. Mr. Ingham said that the dast witness had convinced him that the wall was not properly bonded together. According to his description, a wall by accident might be properly bonded together, but there was no security that it would be. He was clearly against the defendant. Mr. Nasmyth, who was retained for the defence, asked to have a case granted fora superior court. He
said it was a question of great importance, as con-
tracts had been entered into for the construction of
blocks of Peabody buildings with similar walls.
Mr. Ingham said he would grant a case, but he
eventually dismissed the summons, as it was found
that there had been an informal notice.
Lianmiry or Burpre Socrery TRUSTEES.—
In the case of Allen y. Miller, which was before the
Court of Error last week, the question was, whether
the trustees of a benefit building society, signing a
note as such trustees, are personally liable. The
note was signed by several persons, trustees of the
Gateshead Building Society (one of them being
secretary), in this form:—‘‘ We, the undersigned
trustees, &c., promise on demard to pay £200, value
received, for the society, with interest nalf-yearly.”
This was signed by J. Miller, and the other persons
describing themselves as trustees to the society.
The society was not incorporated, and had no
express power to give bills and notes, though they
had (as the Court of Chancery had held) power to
borrow money. The Court of Exchequer had given
judgment that the defendants were personally
liable. The Court gave judgment for the plaintiff,
on the ground that the note did not express that the
trustees signed only on behalf of the society.
In Re H. A. Hotpren.—The bankrupt, Henry
Ashton Holden, of Ethelburga House, Bishopsgate,
and Bedford-square, wasa builder, and contractor for
the new bridge proposed to be constructed over the
river Thames between Chelsea and the opposite
shore. He failed, with debts and liabilities amount-
ing to upwards of £28,000, and a proposal had been
made to the general body of creditors, and accepted,
of 2s. inthe pound. The Court of Bankruptcy last
week confirmed the resolution of the creditors.
———__»>—__—_.
LAND AND BUILDING SOCIETIES.
GATESHEAD Bur~piInG Socrery.—An important
case, in which this society was concerned, and which
bears upon the liabilities of building society trustees
in general, will be foundin our “ Legal Intelligence ”
of this week.
Norwich AND HAsTERN COUNTIES FREEHOLD
Lanpb Anb Buitpine Socirety.—T he annual meeting
of the members of this society (established in 1870
was held last week, Mr. R. 8. Hill, Chairman of the
Board of Directors, in the chair. ‘The report (which
was adopted) recommended payment of a bonus of
123 per cent. for the year, in addition to interest of
4 per cent., on subscriptions paid in.
Batu LIBERAL PERMANENT MuTuAL BENEFIT
Burpine Socrery.—The second annual meeting
of this society was held on Thursday week. The
chair was taken by Mr. R. P. Edwards, the chairman
of the Council. The report stated that during the
past year the sum of £1,665 11s. 8d. had been
received for subscriptions, and £436 2s. 5d. for
members’ repayments. and that during the same
time the sum of £2,285 had been advanced to
members on mortgage. During the past year the
number of shareholders had increased from 184
to 246, and the number of shares taken from 474 to
702. The chairmanaddressedthe shareholders on the
prosperity of the society and its advantages to the
public, and concluded by moving the adoption of the
report and audited accounts. The resolution was
carried, as well as another re-electing Messrs.
Edwards, Archard, and Francis, members of the
Council. A vote of thanks was passed to the
trustees.
ee
PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.
Pusiic PArks AND GARDENS Brtu.—On Monda;
the House proceeded, at the invitation of Mr, Ayrton,
to consider the regulation of Royal Parks and Gar-
dens. The second reading of the Bill referring to
this subject was opposed by Mr. V. Harcourt, who
denounced many of its provisions as antagonistic to
the liberties of the subject; and eventually moved
the rejection of the measure. Colonel Hogg, the
chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works, on
the other hand, recognised the absolute necessity
for the Bill, and gave it his unreserved support.
Mr. Agar-Ellis wished to see the regulations which
the Government were to make before he agreed to
the measure, and Mr. Henley excited a good deal of
applause from the benches occupied by the more
advanced Liberals by deseribing the Bill as a
wonderful one for a Liberal Government to introduce.
Lord J. Manners, however, asserted the necessity of
the establishment of better regulations for the parks;
and when Mr. Alderman Lawrence had asserted the
rights of poor citizens to the enjoyment of those
open spaces, Mr. Ayrton’s argument, that in the
interest of the public itself it was necessary that
some public authority should be intrusted with
power to make rules for the government of the royal
parks similar to those which are enjoyed by the
Metropolitan Board of Works, or other local authori-
ties in regard to parks which are not under the con-
trol of the Department of Works, and his disclaimer
of any special intention by this Bill to prevent meet-
ings in Hyde-park, were favourably received by the
majority of the House, and the second reading of the
measure was carried by a majority of 147—183 to
36.
METROPOLITAN WATER SupPLy.—Mr. Stapleton,
on Tuesday, gaye notice that to-day he would ask
the Home Secretary whether it is intended to take
any steps under the bill of last session for supplying
water to the metropolis, on account of the extremely
polluted state of the water recently supplied by some
of the companies.
Roya Parxs.—Mr. V. Harcourt gave notice that,
on going into Committee on the Royal Parks Bill,
he would move as an amendment—* That this House
will not proceed with a bill which proposes to inflict
penalties and also to invest persons appointed by
irresponsible nominees of the Crown with power to
arrest her Majesty's subjects without warrant for
offences undefined by law; nor will this House sane-
tion any measure for the regulation of property
maintained out of the public taxes which does not
secure liberty for the purpose of enjoyment upon
equal terms in all respects to all classes of her
Majesty’s subjects.”
East Lonpon Musrum.—Mr. C. Reed asked the
Vice-President of the Council when the Hast London
Museum on Bethnal-green would be opened to the
public.—Mr, Forster believed the Museum would be
handed over to the Science and Arts Department in
about one month. It would take about six weeks
to make the necessary arrangements, and he trusted
that before the end of April they would be able to
open at least part of the building.
—$—$
Ow Oftce Table,
i
ArcuirecturRAL AssocrATion.—The first visit
this session of the members of this association to
works in progress will be made to-morrow (Satur-
day) afternoon, when it has been arranged to in-
spect Mr. Horaee Jones’s new City Library and
Museum, Guildhall.
ExTension oF ASPHALTE ROADWAYS BY THE
Bank or EneuAnp.—‘ The Montrotier Asphalte
and Cement Concrete Paving Company” has been
directed to lay its asphalte on thin hydraulic
cement concrete in Princes-street, and the work will
be commenced very shortly. The asphalte will be
laid in a powder and consolidated by the application
of heat, and it is asserted by this company that
their roadways so laid are practically indestruc-
tible.
Rusrine or Iron.—Polishing iron to some extent
diminishes its tendency to oxidation, which takes
place very readily in ordinary when air and moisture
are present; and when once oxidation has com-
menced, it goes on very rapidly to destroy the
metallic surface. As a proof that the air is the
agent in this, it may be stated that iron may be
immersed in water without change, if care has been
used to free the latter from air. Oxidation may
also be prevented by contact with any metal which
is more electropositive; thus, any delicate steel
instrument may be protected from rust by wrapping
it in very thin sheet zine, and in this way articles
of fine cutlery are at times sent by sea, and so per-
fectly protected from rust.—Makins.
Exuririon or Drawrincs By THE Late M.
Dusan.—An interesting and instructive exhibition
is, according to the Society of Arts’ Jowrnal, now
open at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, in Paris, consist-
ing of the plans and drawings of the late celebrated
architect, M. Félix Duban, to whom a monument is
about to be raised by subscription. In addition to
the more practical and technical works, the collec-
tion includes many studies of Rome, Pompeii,
Athens, and a number of drawings of portions of
the old royal chateaux of France.
Apams’s Sprinc Hiner AnD ADJUSTABLE SHOE.
—The convergent and adjustable spring hinge and
adjustable shoe, patented by Mr. Adams, possesses
many advantages. The spring is very simple and
not likely to be deranged. It is very easily fixed to
any centre with a great saving of workman’s time.
The shoe in which the boss is filled, which is squared
through to fit the upper part of the hinge pivot, can
be brought to any position round that centre, and
secured by screws on the side of the shoe and re-
cesses of the boss. The hinges are, we believe, be-
coming very generally used.
A New Mernop or Arrormtina Scnoon
Boarp Arcurrects.—The Leicester School Board
have hit ona method of selecting architects to de-
sign the required new schools which is, perhaps,
quite as fair as any other. The committee ap-
pointed to “Report on the mode of selecting archi-
tects to be adopted by the board,” at a recent meet-
ing recommended the board to select architects for
the different schools from among the architects in
practice in the town by open nomination, and in case
more than one architect should be nominated for
the same school, the appointment should be made by
