Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/159

 = 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