3 AUGUST 1944, Page 14

Sta,—Your correspondent Mr. Stead rightly draws attention to the need

for centralised hot water systems for groups of houses. There is another important matter which, seems to receive little attention. Whenever we have more than a few degrees of frost plumbers everywhere are over- whelmed with work unfreezing and repairing damaged water pipes. Our housing bye-laws and our plumbing methods should be amended to avoid- this unnecessary waste. I am told that in the much more severe winters of North America there is none of this nonsense.—Yours faithfully,

Kings Copse, Bucklebury, near Reading. NORMAN MACKINNON.