Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/347

 Apri 19, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. 327 On Office Table, os Tne Sratrur in LeicesteR-SQUARE.—Mr. Knox last week committed an unfortunate thief to prison for seven days for carrying away the last bit of the statue of George II. in Leicester-square. Subserip- tion lists for the benefit of convicted criminals are common now, and we think Mr. James Thompson’s zealous services on behalf of art deserve some recog- nition. Meanwhile, we may remind those desirous of emulating his example that the noble steed with the one wooden leg and two and a half metal ones still remains—a part of it. New Srurrine ror Cusntons.—A material which has come quite extensively into use in Germany, as a substitute for hair in the stuffing of saddles, etc., consists of a mixture of flax seed and tallow. The advantage of this substitute consists primarily in the fact that the mobility of the seeds, one upon the other, prevents the packing or settling in any par- ticular place, as often happens in saddles stuffed with hair, thus causing any given pressure to be readily and uniformly distributed over any given surface. The tallow serves the purpose, too, of keeping the leather flexible, and of preventing the absorption of perspiration ; protects the article itself, and preverts the back of the animal from becoming galled. Animals with sores or galled spots on the back can be ridden with saddles stuffed with this material without any great inconvenience. The tallow also has the effect of preventing the rotting of the flax seed, and is to be added in sufficient quantity to give the requisite softness to theentire mass. An aromatic odour can be imparted by introducing oil of turpentine or camphor powder, and the durability considerably increased thereby. One part of tallow to from six to ten parts of flax seed may be used, according to the temperature. CARPETED FLroors.—When a carpet is taken up to be cleansed, the floor beneath is generally much covered with dust. This dust is very fine and dry, and poisonous to the lungs. Before removing it, sprinkle the floor with very dilute carbolic acid, to kill any poisonous germs that may be present and to thoroughly disinfect the floor and render it sweet. Srreer TrRAmMwAys For Goops Trarric.—lIt has been suggested that the tramways already con- structed, or in course of construction, in the metro- polis and in some of the principal provincial towns, should be used for heavy street traffic between the hours of one and five o’clock in the morning. The usual night police supervision would be quite equal to this kind of work, and the comparatively rapid passage of huge vans and goods waggons to markets or from stations would be a really substantial gain and convenience to the inhabitants of several of the main roads leading out from the metropolis, where huge lumbering waggons and market carts noisily “drag their slow lengths along” in the small hours of the morning. The suggestion is certainly well worthy of consideration, for in many cases existing lines of tramway could be utilised in this way by the construction of short branch lines connecting main lines of tram with the railway stations and markets in their vicinity, Gas Suprry.—Leeds has now been added to the list of corporate towns that have undertaken the manufacture and supply of gas to their inhabitants, With a rate per thousand feet less than that charged in London, the Leeds Town Council are congratu- lating themselves on a clear profit of no less than £13,000 paid into the exchequer of the Corporation during the past twelve months. If so satisfactory a result ensues in the very first year of the corporate management, a still better result may be hoped for in years to come. The example of Leeds, says a contemporary, points one more moral to the citizens of London, who are yearly throwing away hundreds of thousands of pounds that might be applied to lessening the rates if only the metropolis performed its muni- cipal functions aright. But how can the metropolis as a whole perform municipal functions until it has a really municipal system of government? How much longer is this question of the government of London to be shelved ? THe Preston CovereD Market.—The new contractors for this work, Messrs. Bennett & Co., of West Bromwich, haye refused to proceed with their contract, on the ground of radical defects in the design, which they allege preclude the possibility of a safe structure being erected from the plans of Mr. Garlick, the Borough Engineer. They say that having investigated the principles of construc- tion of the proposed roof of the covered market, they have discovered that “it is utterly impracticable to construct with safety a roof in accordance with the details shown on the plans ;” and they speak of “certain fatal defects in the structure that render the safe construction of the roof impossible.” Not- withstanding this positive declaration, however, the Markets Committee have resolved to call upon Messrs. Bennett to execute their contract. Tue New Pranopy Buiiprxes iw BermMonpsey. —The Peabody trustees have decided to erect several blocks of buildings in Bermondsey, similar to those in the Blackfriars-road, and are just about to proceed with the erection of the first block, the site for which is in East-street, near New Church- street, and in connection with the intended building the Bermondsey local authorities are endeavouring to secure the making of a new and improved thoroughfare between East-street and New Church- street. Winpsor AND Eron Arr Crasses.—On Monday week 369 works, executed by the students attending these classes, were sent to the Department of Science and Art for the National Art Examination. These works consisted of chalk studies from the cast, figure, outline, freehand, foliage from nature, and water- colour drawing, perspective painting in still life, architectural drawings, &e. Mr. A. Bond has sent an excellent set of architectural details. Surcme or A Scurpror.—On Wednesday, a sculptor of some note, Mr. Edward Mitchell, whose mind appears to have been disturbed of late by the death of his wife and his anxiety to complete some orders for the Dublin Exhibition, committed suicide by throwing himself from a four-story window. His skull was fractured, and on removing him it was found that he had previously stabbed himself with a sharp-pointed tool used in his work. IystitutTiIon or Suryryors.—At the ordinary general meeting, held on Monday, April 8th, the following name was read and passed to be balloted for at the meeting on May 6th: As member, John Weall, jun., Rugby House, Pinner, Middlesex. Several donations to the library were announced, and a vote of thanks having been unanimously given to the various donors, a paper was read by Mr. C. Cadle, entitled ‘“‘ Leases versus Yearly Agreements.” A vote of thanks was unanimously accorded to Mr. Cadle for his paper. A short discussion ensued. which was adjourned to the next meeting, which takes place on Monday evening next, the 22nd inst. Mr. Thomas Morgan Gepp, of Chelmsford, was duly 5 elected an Associate. | Ciass oF CONSTRUCTION AND PRACTICE, ArcuirectuRAL Assocration.—The twelfth meet- ing of this Class for the present session will take place on Friday evening next, the 26th instant, when the subject will be “Mechanics.” The following are the questions :—1. It is required to raise a ladder, 25ft. long, from the ground to an upright position; if one end be fixed to the ground what power is necessary at a point 6ft. from that end, or at the other end ? To what extent will the power be changed when the ladder makes an angle of 45° with the ground, it weighing 7lb. per foot run? 2. A power of 10Ib. is applied to a wheel 5ft. in diameter ; its axle is Gin. in diameter. What weight can be raised by a cord round the latter? 3. It is desired to raise a weight of 6 ewt. by pulleys attached to beams placed 12in. apart from centre to centre, it being considered unsafe to put a greater load than 2 cwt. on any one beam. What power and combination of pulleys would you use? A C B is a bent lever of which each arm isin itself uniform in size and material; A C = 17.; BC = 2dft. When the lever is in equilibrium by its own weight, A and B are respectively 8ft. and 15ft. above the fulerum C. A C weighs 41b. per foot run. Required the weight of BC. 5. The length of an inclined plane is 100ft., its rise 2ft. Required the power necessary to move a body of 901b. up or down, the co-efficient of friction being one-thirtieth. 6. A ball is projected horizontally from the top of a tower 80ft. high, with a velocity of 90ft. per second. How far willit go? es Grade Welws, WAGES MOVEMENT. ALTRINCHAM.—The painters of Altrincham and Bowdon have now been on strike for a week for an advance of wages from 63d. to 7d. per hour, and a reduction of the hours of labour from 58 to 54} per week. The men sent in a request for these concessions three months ago, and as they were not granted they left work in a body. Batru.—The smiths, gasfitters, &c., of Bath, have memorialised their employers fora reduction in the hours of their labour to nine hours per day. Berutin.—The master builders and carpenters of Berlin have issued a notice, in which they declare their determination to discharge all journeymen carpenters on Saturday next (to-morrow) unless the strikes got up by the journeymen against some particular masters shall have been at an end by Wednesday. The journeymen carpenters have on their part resolved, at a meeting held on Monday, to sustain the partial strikes by all means in their power. BIRMINGHAM.—The Board of Arbitration met on Friday last to consider the demand of the carpenters and joiners, plasterers and labourers, for an altera- tion in the hours of work and rate of wages, Mr. Rupert Kettle, the umpire, presiding. Mr. Kettle gaye his award on the general question of time as follows : “YT may be permitted to explain in a few words the circumstances under which I reserved my decision upon the proposition submitted to me at our last meeting. Hitherto, in settling disputesin the building trades it has been my practice to consider the whole of the matters in dispute before arriving at a final decision, and also, when it is practicable, by the same settlement, to embrace all the branches of the trade in one uniform system. There are many obyious adyan- tages in taking this course in a trade where time and the rate of wages act and react upon each other. It sometimes has happened that a final and satisfactory bargain has been the result of a concession by one party as to one point, and of the other party as to another point. In the case before me it has been thought advisable to have the hours of work settled quite independently of any other matters in differ- ence, and that an arbitration meeting where only three branches of the trade—the carpenters, the plas- terers, and the labourers—are represented; the other branch not having expressed, by notice under the rules, any desire to alter the hours of work. Now, so far as the labourers are concerned, it is positively necessary their hours should be cotemporary with each and all the other branches. Although the discussion before me here had given me a clear impression of what would be substantially just in the matter before me, still I thought it right, having regard to the position of all parties, to consider what would be the complete effect upon the convenience of trade of any judgment I might give, and for this pur- pose I reserved my decision for further consideration. ‘The single question we met on Monday to consider was, What shall be the hours in the branches of the building trades which have given the notice? Shall the hours be reduced from 56}, as they stand at pre- sent, to 503, as claimed? I need not recapitulate the arguments which took place, and our ineffectual at- tempts to make some compromise. It was ultimately left for me to decide whether the 56} hours should be retained, whether they should be reduced to 504, or whether any intermediate number should be determined upon. In deciding this question, I have not only to consider the desires of the parties in contention before me, but the combined interest of both, so as not to disturb their trade, and check the desire for building. Ihave come to the conclusion that although from what has happened in this town and elsewhere, cus- tomers may be disposed to accept the result of what is called the nine hours’ movement, they could not at present willingly enter into bargains based upon still shorter hoars. I, therefore, as much in the interest of workmen as of the employers, decide that an average of nine hours a day, that is, 54 hours, be the working week. This does not apply to the three winter months.” The deputation then made a vain effort to arrange the hours for beginning and leaving off work. The question in dispute was this: Should the men begin to work at six o’clock in the morning, and leave off at five in the evening, or begin work at half-past six in the morn- ing, and leave off at half-past five in the evening? The employers’ delegates held out the latter proposition, the workmen’s delegates for the former. The conten- tion on the part of the employers was that the men could not be got to begin work punctually at six o'clock; the men replied that a man who was un- punctual would continue to be so under any arrange- ment. The Umpire suggested that, if it were practic- able, some such plan as that upon which the nine hours’ question at Newcastle was settled might be adopted— namely, that a man should not count overtime until he had worked 54 hours in a week, Could it not be arranged that aman who worked his full 54 hours a week should receiye some sort of a premium, as com- pared with the man who worked less? This suggestion, however, was not received. These deputations then withdrew, leaving the question in dispute to be settled by each branch for itself. The plasterers’ deputation next took their place at the table, and the question which had just been debated by their predecessors was again discussed. The time for beginning and leaving off work could not be agreed upon, and the Umpire said he would prefer not to decide that question by itself, but to take the whole case together. The question of wages was then dis- cussed. The present rate of wages in the plasterers’ trade is 6}d. per hour, and the men’s demand was for 74d. Mr. Briggs madean offer on the part of the em- ployers of a rise per hour equivalent to the reduction of time—namely, a farthing per hour. The Umpire observed that it was five years since there had been a rise of wages in this trade in Birmingham, and that was a long time, as things were going now. He would ask the representative of the em- ployers to consider whether their proposal to give a rise equivalent to the reduction of time was equal to the increase of wages which the nine hours’ settlement had practically amounted to in other trades and other places. After some discussion, and a short adjournment, Mr. Holmes proposed that the pay- ment should be 7d. per hour, as a settlement for two years. This proposition was seconded, and discussed, without result, and the Board proceeded to consider the question of overtime, but no conclusion was ar-