Materials  and  Designs  for  Cottages. 
133 
But  facilities  for  buiklino-  would  be  further  increased  if 
O 
Government  loans  were  renewed  at  a low  rate  of  interest,  as 
shown  by  Mr,  AV.  (J.  Little  in  the  before-mentioned  Report. 
One  of  his  conclusions  is  that : — 
“ Government  loans  to  landowners,  at  such  a rate  of  interest  as  would 
secure  the  State  from  loss,  might  diminish  thcdiflSculty  which  many  proprietors 
experience  in  keeping  down  the  interest  on  loans  for  cottage  building.  Under 
])resent  circumstances,  if  expenditure  of  this  kind  is  undertaken  upon  a loan 
advanced  by  one  of  the  land  companies,  the  proprietor  has  for  thirty  years  to 
pay  from  5'G5  to  C'33  per  cent,  on  the  outlay  in  order  to  provide  for  the  repa)’- 
ment  of  principal  and  interest.  At  the  present  time  the  State  lends  to  local 
authorities  in  Ireland  upon  terms  which  involve  an  annual  charge  of  4'825Z. 
])er  annum  for  thirty-five  years,  and  if  the  period  of  repayment  be  extended  to 
fifty  years,  the  annual  instalment  is  reduced  to  4’46/.  per  cent.” 
Settled  Land  Act. 
Facilities  are  also  given  to  limited  owners  under  the  Settled 
Land  Act,  lb82,  for  the  payment  of  improvement  works  out 
of  capital  money  in  the  hands  of  trustees  ; and  after  a scheme 
for  improvements  is  approved  by  them,  a certificate  of  the 
Board  of  Agriculture,  or  a competent  engineer  or  surveyor, 
that  the  work  has  been  properly  executed,  and  stating  the 
amount  which  is  properly  payable  by  the  trustees  in  respect 
thereof,  will  enable  the  Board  to  make  an  order  for  payment 
for  the  work. 
Full  details  of  the  procedure  will  be  found  in  Section  26 
of  the  Act.  The  estimated  outlay  on  such  works  (including 
of  course  the  building  of  cottages)  as  were  approved  of  on 
the  nomination  of  surveyors  for  the  year  1892,  was  328,849/., 
a sum  greater  by  82,336/.  than  shown  in  1891,  and  Aery 
considerabl}'  in  excess  of  previous  totals.  This  shows  that 
this  useful  j>rovision  of  the  Settled  Land  Act  is  becoming 
more  Avidely  known  and  a})preciated. 
Materials  and  Designs  for  Cottages. 
I noAv  come  to  the  question  of  the  nature  of  the  designs 
for  cottages.  There  are  many  to  be  found  Avhich  are  suitable 
for  the  ornamental  and  superior  class  of  dwellings  often 
re(]uired  for  the  immediate  surroundings  of  country  seats,  but 
they  need  not  be  produced  here,  as  the  main  object  of  this 
article  is  to  furnish  plans  Avith  a vieAv  to  the  reduction  of 
cost  by  economising  space  and  construction.  There  are 
cottages  in  many  places  Avhich  do  this  more  or  less,  but  the 
])lans  are  not  ahvays  available  ; and  although  I feel  that  the 
treatment  of  the  subject  has  become  somewhat  threadbare,  T 
have  Aentured  to  make  a further  effort  (beyond  my  previous 
