CORRESPONDENCE.

A MODEL 2110 COTTAGE.

[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTA.TOR."]

SIR,—I think your readers may be interested to hear the first result of the offer made by me at the inauguration of my black weatherboard model 2150 cottage at Merrow Common by Lord Midleton last August. It may be remembered that I then pointed out that a 2150 cottage could not be regarded as ideal from the pecuniary point of view, and that what was really wanted in order to provide rural workers with a house at 2s. 6d. a week, which is as much as they can pay or ought to pay, with rates in addition, was a cottage at 2100. Accord- ingly, I stated that anyone who liked, as long as the land lasted, could put up a 2100 cottage on my ground near Merrow Common, provided, of course, that reasonable assur- ances were given against the intrusion of cranks or impostors. I further offered that if the cottage stood for a year and kept out the weather I would buy it for 2110. If I found that it was not stable or weathertight, I promised to present the actual piece of land on which it stood to the builder in order to prevent any charge of confiscating his property.

I am glad to be able to report that Mr. Arnold Mitchell, an architect of great experience in cottage building, at once picked up the glove, and within eight weeks from the making of my speech had completed a charming little cottage, with three bed- rooms, a good parlour-kitchen, a neat and convenient scullery, a larder, coal cupboard, and earth closet, all under one roof, and that last week I had the pleasure of handing him a cheque for 2110. The cottage was so obviously substantial and weather- tight that I felt safe in waiving—as I had, of course, a perfect power to waive in any particular case—my right to wait a year before paying for a cottage built under my challenge. The building has been described, and rightly described, as "a perfect wonder," and such I believe it will be pronounced by anyone who sees it. The rooms are no doubt small if con- sidered and judged in the terms of ordinary country cottages. If, however, they are considered in the terms of a London artisan's flat they will be admitted to be roomy. There are plenty of London artisans who would consider a flat with three bedrooms, a good living room and scullery, Sce., as big as those in Mr. Mitchell's cottage an extremely roomy home. Though my black weatherboard model cottage is no doubt a good deal bigger, I most gladly admit that Mr. Mitchell's cottage beats it hollow, and for several good reasons. The first and most important of all is that it costs 2,40 less, This 240 less expenditure of capital enables it to be let at 2s. 6d. a week, the tenant paying rates, without any economic loss to time owner. Half-a-crown a week means, roughly, a. little over 6 per cent. on the outlay. The 2150 cottage on the same terms would have to be let at 29 a year, or, say, is. per week more than the 2110 cottage. But who can doubt that the rural labourer with 2s. 6d. a week as his rent is in a far better position than one paying 3s. 6d. a week ? Another great advantage of Mr. Arnold Mitchell's cottage is that it is built of brick and that it therefore complies with the building by-laws in almost all localities. No doubt it is a monstrous piece of folly that the building by-laws in most rural dis- tricts should forbid, even for detached houses, black weather- board, which is one of the best of weather-resisting materials, but the fact remains that they do. Mr. Mitchell's cottage, therefore, could be erected over a much wider area than could my black weatherboard cottage. Mr. Mitchell's cottage is also exceedingly pretty. Persons of advanced taste in art will possibly prefer my "cubist;" erection, and will like it both in colour and in proportion, but there can be little doubt that the ordinary working man and his wife will much prefer Mr. Mitchell's building. He certainly has done an admir- able piece of work, and I advise all who are interested in the problem of cheap construction to go to Merrow Common, which can be reached very easily from Guildford station—from which it is not more than three miles distant—and look at both his cottage and mine.—To reach Merrow Common by motor, travel down the Portsmouth Road to a point about three miles short of Guildford, where there is a turn to the left and south with a sign-post marked "Merrow " : proceed as far as railway arch, pass through, and find cottages on left of road.

I may mention that other architects and builders are con- sidering the putting up of model cottages, and I hope very much that they will do so, and make an effort to knock out Mr. Mitchell's cottage just as his has knocked out mine. This is a free tournament, and he who wins by building the cheap- est livable cottage will deserve a statue. It looks as if the statue were now to go to Mr. Mitchell, but who knows whether he may not be cut out in future ? But whether cut out or not, he certainly deserves praise and thanks for his help towards solving a most difficult problem.

Now as to the question of those who wish to use Mr. Mitchell's cottage as a model. Let me, to begin with, say that Mr. Mitchell with great public spirit has waived all idea of getting any advantage for himself out of his cottage or its design. The design has been copyrighted, and in order to get the matter dealt with on business lines the copyright has been handed over to Messrs. Holland, Hannen, and Cubitt, of 258 Gray's Inn Road, W.C., who are about to lithograph minutely detailed plans and to print the fullest specification of the cottage at Merrow so that any builder can build from them. They propose to charge one guinea for these plans, and all applications in regard to them should be made to them direct. They also propose to charge a royalty of one guinea per cottage on every cottage built from their plans. Subject to these conditions, which I think it will be agreed are not unreasonable, and do not place any undue burden on building, though they acknowledge the rights of those who hold the copyright, anybody will be free to copy Mr. Mitchell's cottage. The plans and specifications will make it quite easy for any village builder to act upon them without further reference to the architect or the original contractors. Mr. Arnold Mitchell has placed in my hands the report which Messrs. Cubitt have made to him in regard to the cost of the cottage and the question of repeating it. This report runs as follows:—

" Arnold Mitchell, Esq., 13th October, 1913.

17, Hanover Square, W.

STANDARD COTTAGE "A."

DEAR Sin,—We have gone carefully through the figures of the cost of the above cottage, which we built for Mr. J. St. Los Strachey, and we herewith beg to report as follows :-

You will understand that the information we have in front of us at the present time is very meagre, and it is, therefore, difficult to arrive at any definite conclusion.

From the evidence we have, however, it appears to us to be clear that any large firm of contractors, like ourselves, in London could not build these cottages singly, or dotted about in small quantities all over the country, at the £110. However, we think that local contractors might be able to do so, owing to the saving they would get in the carriage of plant, &c., the position of the site varying the cost up to a ten per cent. margin either way. We understand that some of these cottages are being built for ..t100 in certain districts.

It is also possible that, should this idea develop in the large way, we might be able to help the small firms of contractors by manufacturing certain parts of the cottages in very large quantities, and selling them to the local contractors at wholesale prices, as it seems that if the joinery, &c., is made in this way, it must be able to be manufactured more cheaply than any small builder could possibly do so by hand.

Of course, is the event of considerable groups of cottages, such as might be required for railway companies, mining companies, ttc., in all probability we could do it ourselves, but the whole question is one of organisation.

At any rate, so far as we are concerned, we should be prepared to undertake several more cottages at the 4110, with the idea of gaining the necessary experience as to the very cheapest and best way in which they could be built.

Yours faithfully,

258 Gray's Inn Road, W.C. W. Cunirr & Co."

A study of this letter shows that £110 is what might be

called the middle figure for the cottage. It could be pro- duced, and has been produced—at Ipswich, for example—

for £100, for there the conditions were favourable. Again, where the conditions were unfavourable, it might even cost as much as £120. But these are the two extreme points. It, is hardly likely that it will ever cost less than 2100, but it should never exceed £120, and in all normal places a builder should be able to produce it for £110. We may note that at the present moment an ordinary village builder is finishing one of these cottages at Great Baddow, near Chelmsford, and with satisfaction to himself. He has only received £110, and he did the work in a month.

I may say again that while the £110 cottage at Merrow Common is always open for inspection without any applica- tion for leave being necessary, all communications in regard to it should be addressed direct to Messrs. Holland, Hannen, and Cubitt, 258 Gray's Inn Road, W. C.

I may add that, in my opinion, Messrs. Cubitt are quite right in saying that as a rule, and when things are cut so fine as in this case, it will be much better for local builders to build rather than a London firm. In that way a great deal is saved in the matter of railway fares and transport, and when such small sums are being dealt with an extra £5 or £6 is a matter of very great importance. I most sincerely trust, how- ever, that the excellent plan for standardizing and producing a certain amount of the material in large quantities which can be supplied to local builders may prove practicable.

Mr. Arnold Mitchell and Messrs. Holland, Hannen, and Cubitt are to be congratulated on the very public-spirited way in which they have taken up the matter. Cheap cottage con- struction is not likely to prove a gold mine, but if the problem is worked at seriously, I believe it will be shown that it can be accomplished without loss.—I am, Sir, &c.,

J. Sr. Lon STRACHEY.

Newlan.ds Corner, Merrow, Guildford.