21 DECEMBER 1907, Page 3

The hope of saving Crosby Hall has been sensibly increased

by the opportune proposal of the Board of Trade that the Board might rent the building for housing its commercial library and displaying its samples. At present the Board of Trade library is kept in vaults under the Foreign Office, and the lease of the rooms in Basinghall Street where the samples are on view is about to expire. It would obviously be more convenient not only to put the library and the Commercial Intelligence Department together, but to have both in the City. The proposal is as yet indefinite, but it appears to be that the Board of Trade should rent Crosby Hall from the London County Council, if the Council can buy it by amal- gamating the various funds already subscribed or offered. The great virtue of the Board of Trade proposal is that it is extremely sensible; it promises to secure the object by a method which happens to serve everyday needs. It is a wise adaptation of means to end, and it shows the value of looking round and taking a little trouble in the search for solutions. There are more solutions of difficulties than is generally supposed, but most of them are never discovered.