('ottages  for  Ihtml  Lahourera. 
]2)< 
wliy  the  de|)lorable  (lej)0})ul:ition  of  many  of  our  villages  has 
taken  place.  The  gravity  of  this  decrease  not  only  injuriously 
affects  agriculture,  but,  it  is  to  be  feared,  the  nation  at  large. 
The  continual  rise  of  wages  has  perhaps  had  much  to  do  with 
it,  as  fanners  are  compelled  to  manage  with  as  few  labourers 
as  possible  ; and  the  general  awakening  due  to  the  spread  of 
education,  with  the  attendant  ambition  of  children  to  obtain 
better  positions,  has  caused  them  to  desert  their  old  homes. 
But  where  these  can  be  made  more  attractive  and  comfortable, 
the  inclination  to  leave  them  cannot  be  so  great,  ])articularly 
if  large  gardens  or  a little  grass  land,  even  a ]>ig  run,  are  added 
to  counteract  the  allurements  of  town  life. 
Building  Byk-laws. 
An  important  point  for  the  consideration  of  those  who 
contemplate  building  cottages  arises  in  respect  of  the  bye-laws 
of  District  Councils,  which  in  some  [ilaces  are  said  to  be  so 
onerous  as  to  become  a cause  of  unnecessary  expense  in  their 
erection.  No  doubt  this  is  occasionally,  and  perhaps  frecjuently, 
the  case  ; but  as  there  has  been  a good  deal  of  misapprehension 
as  to  the  persons  who  are  responsible  for  the  making  of  bye-laws 
it  is  desiral)le  to  state  who  they  are.  Many  persons  have 
supposed  that  the  Local  Government  Board  have  compelled 
Bural  District  Councils  to  make  bye-laws  for  their  districts  ; 
but  this  is  not  so,  as  the  initiative  rests  with  the  Councils 
themselves.  They  can  provide  them  or  disiiense  with  them 
altogether  at  their  discretion,  as  the  following  extract  from 
a Memorandum  annexed  to  the  Model  Bye-laws  for  Rural 
Districts,  issued  by  the  Board  in  1901,  will  show  ; — 
“ It  has  been  rejireseiited  to  the  Board  that  it  would  be  useful  if  a series  of 
model  bye-laws  were  framed,  dealing  only  with  the  subjects  which  are  most  in 
need  of  regulation  and  control  in  a niral  district  from  a sanitary  point  of  view, 
and  omitting  the  additional  requirements  usually  found  in  a code  of  bye-laws 
in  force  in  an  urban  district.  Tlie  Board  have,  therefore,  drawn  up  the 
accompanying  series  of  model  bye-laws.  Tliey  arc  confined  to  matters  affecting 
health. 
“The  Board  are  not  in  a position  to  advise  as  to  what  byc-laws  are  needed  in 
particular  rural  districts.  The  responsibility  rests  with  the  Rural  District 
Council  in  each  instance  of  determining,  on  consideration  of  tlie  circumstances 
of  their  district,  what  bye-laws  (if  any)  they  will  propose  to  make.  The  model 
is  intended  to  serve  as  a guide  to  them  in  dealing  with  the  most  important 
sanitary  requirements  in  connection  with  new  buildings.  It  must  not  be 
regarded  as  e-xcluding  the  adoption  of  further  provisions,  where  these  are  found 
to  be  necessary. 
“Portions  of  many  rural  districts  are  distinctly  urban  in  character,  and  the 
development  of  building  is  constantly  changing  the  aspect  of  the  country  : and 
it  devolves  on  Rural  District  Councils  to  endeavour  to  ap])ly  to  the  several  parts 
of  their  districts  such  regulations  as  the  circumstances  may,  from  time  to  time, 
seem  to  reciuire.  The  present  series  contains  no  clauses  dealing  with  (piestions 
