SIR,—The society which Mr. Thomas Prichard believes to exist does
actually exist, and is called the Building By-laws Reform Association. The Association was formed at the end of 1902, its president is the Duke of Westminster, and its offices are at 45 Parliament Street, S.W. (honorary secretary, Mr. R. A. Read). The condition of membership is a minimum yearly subscription of 102. 6d. The Association is making steady progress, and its Council have every hope of presenting a satisfactory report of work to the next annual meeting in January, 1905. The power of the Association to secure reform depends on the number of its members. It cannot make bricks without straw. If Mr. Prichard would join the Association, and induce others to do so, he would be further- ing the object which I presume he has in view. In answer to Mr. Prichard's question whether any by-laws have been framed on the new " Models " for rural districts, the honorary secretary of the Association will furnish him with the names of District Councils which have adopted them. But these by-laws are not entirely satisfactory, especially as regards sanitary matters, and the Council of the Association have prepared an amended set of by-laws which they hope shortly to bring before the Local Government Board for its approvaL On the general question, there is plenty of evidence to show that the infliction upon rural districts of building by-laws originally intended for towns has retarded the supply of cheap, good, and healthy cottages. But I am afraid that the housing difficulty in such districts will only be partially sur- mounted by greater liberty of building being allowed ; for we must remember that the difficulty exists in parts of the country where there are no building by-laws at all, the reasons for this having been well pointed out by Mr. Rider Haggard and others of your correspondents. All the same, greater elasticity in building regulations would lessen the evil, and I hope, therefore, that the Association founded for the object of securing this will receive more support than has hitherto been the case.—I am, Sir, &c., W. CHANCE,
Chairman of the Council,
Orchards, W. Godalming.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE usrreraros."]
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