WAR MEMORIALS.
ITo THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR.")
SIR,—As one who has taken an active part in the formation of men's institutes, and also in the arrangement and planning of them, may I add a few remarks in support of your corre- spondents Mr. Boyle and Sir Alfred T. Davies?. before coming to this living, I had a large now colliery district, in which we had to build a church, an institute and parish room. As the Duchess of Portland pronounced the institute to be the best she had seen, a few details of the plan may be useful to others who are thinking of erecting one as a war memorial. At the entrance there was a good cloak-room, over the vestibule .and part of the hall a full-size billiard-room. This billiard-. roam was so arranged that it could be used as a gallery when a concert or a large meeting was being held. It had a dwarf wall on the south side; with wooden screens' which could easily be taken down. The hall was capable of seat- ing. three hundred people. The two ends were made into. two classrooms by sliding doors, leaving a passage in the centre. One was used as a reading-room, the 'other as a games-room. • At what may be termed the north end we had three classrooms, dividing equally the Width of the hall. The centre one had a raised floor, which made a permanent stage, the classrooms on either side being used as dressing-rooms for entertainments. Behind these rooms there were scullery, coppers, and, in small separate yards, lavatories-for males and females. The institute (although a Church one) was entirely free from sectarian and party politics, but class control we had, as the men were mostly miners. I also incurred a good deal of displeasure for allowing boxing. The advantage of this plan is that it could easily be modified or extended to suit either a village or a town. I might add that -Mr. Louis Ambler, of Temple Chambers, was the architect, who, I feel sure, would be of great assistance to those who are interested in this particular form of war memorials.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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