The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 16, .1.859

£l6O a pair, were not for mechanics but for labour-
ers, for whose special benefit the company was
formed. But he thought the company might with
advantage to itself turn its attention to lodging-
houses, which were very much wanted, and were
generally highly productive as investments. It
would be impolitic of the company, with its limited
capital, at present to extend its operations beyond
the immediate neighbourhood of Hertford : nor
would it be proper for them to take upon themselves
the responsibility of the landowners of this county
to provide proper accommodation for the use of the
labourers who work on their estates. He hoped
that this undertaking would be properly taken up,
s o that it might be carried out successfully. Although
it might not produce a large return for the capital
invested, yet on the other hand there could be
no loss. The value of the share capital would be
well maintained, for the class of cottages they pro-
posed to build would always command in the open
market a rental of 3s. or 3s. 6d. a week. He had
been told by some persons that if they get £5,000
it would be a mere trifle, and that they would he
able to do very little good ; but he believed that if
they got that sum they would be able to effect a
very material improvement in the dwellings of the
labouring classes. They would build a good many
excellent model cottages, and perhaps those who had
very bad cottage property in the town would, be
ashamed of it, and set to work to improve it. Mr.
Chesshyre then remarked that the share list afforded
very gratifying evidence of the interest which the
county took in this movement, and stated that
amongst those at a distance from the town who had
taken shares were the Hon. and Rev. Vernon Har-
court and the Hon. Mrs. Harcourt, who had each
taken five shares, and that in the list of donations
was the name of the Marchioness of Salisbury.
Some support had been received- from the clergy,
but considering the benevolent object of the under-
taking, fewer clergymen had taken shares than he
shoultl have expected. He concluded by moving
the following resolution :—" That the plan proposed
for the establishment of a Joint-Stock Company,
under the Limited Liability Act, to be called the
Hertford Building Company (Limited), is highly
to be commended."

Mr. T. SMITE{ seconded the resolution, express-
ing his cordial approval of the movement, and
offering to render the society any professional ser-
vices in his power gratuitously. He urged the
importance of having three bedrooms in all the
cottages which the company might build, remark-
ing that he had erected a great many cottages for
gentlemen in different parts of England and Ire-
land, and he had made it an invariable practice to
have not less than three bedrooms.

The CHAIRMAN said the meeting would be happy
to hear any observations which Mr. Stevens and
Mr. Martin might wish to address to them.
Mr. STEVENS then explained his plans. He said
he prepared them about 18 months ago, after hav-
ing seen those erected by Mr. Martin at Tunbridge
Wells, a model of which was on the table. The
principal peculiarity of his plans was the introduc-
tion of a flat roof, which enabled the walls to be
carried higher and the rooms to be made square.
With regard to the cost of carrying out his plans,
he admitted that the cottages could not be erected
for £l6O a pair. His general estimate was £l7O a
pair, but that had to be modified according to cir-
cumstances. In some places buildings could be
erected a good deal cheaper than in others, and if
he went to a cheap place his cottages could be
erected for less than £l7O a pair, but if went to a
dear place they would cost more than £l7O. Hert-
ford was certainly not a place where they could
build cheaply, and he doubted whether Mr. Martin's
cottages could be erected at Hertford for £l6O a
pair. One advantage his plans possessed over Mr.
Martin's, and that was that they could be erected in
a row, whereas Mr. Martin's must be detached. He
should be happy to render his services to the society'
if his plans should be adopted, but he must be can-
did with them and tell them that he could not offer
his services gratuitously, as Mr. Smith had done.
In answer to a question, Mr. Stevens said the roofs
of his cottages were made of flat tiles and cement,
which was a non-conductor of both beat and cold.

Mr. MARTIN in explaining his plans said the
object had been to produce something like a decent
home with sufficient accommodation for the very
poorest labourer, at a cost which he could afford to
pay. Re admitted that his plans would not do for
towns where land was expensive, but they were in-
tended for rural districts or the suburbs of towns
where land could be obtained at a very cheap rate.
With regard to the cost of erecting his cottages, he
said a good many had been built at different places,
and the cost had hitherto always been within the
estimate. In no one case had they cost more than
the estimate, but in one instance they cost £lO less.
Mr. HATCHARD remarked that a great advantage
to the poor would arise from having these, model
cottages built in the suburbs of the town, where
they might each have a portion of land which the
labourer might cultivate without having to carry
his tools and his produce so far ashe had at present
in going to and from his home in the town to an
allotment garden. The childreß might also find
employment and amusement ix the garden, and be
kept from the corrupting society which they are
now compelled to associate with in the courts and
alleys of the back streets.
Mr. Chesshyre proposed, and Mr. R. Dimsdale
seconded, a vote of thanks to the chairman, which
was carried by acclamation.
The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks, pointed out
that a great improvement might be made in many
old houses by introducing modern fire-places and
stoves. In the old-fashioned fire-places 9-10ths of
the heat generated by the fuel consumed passed up
the chimney without doing any good; but by mo-
dernising the fire-place and putting in a stove with
fire bricks the heat would be thrown into the room.
The modern system of ventilating rooms by causing
a stream of fresh air to pass from the back of the
fire-place, where it became heated, might also, be
introduced with great advantage.
Several gentlemen then put down their names
for shares, and the proceedings terminated.