69 
in Australia, and even though the first cost of the latter is .relatively 
high, they permanently add to the duration, comfort, and appearance 
of a building. The makers will, however, have to produce a lighter 
plain ridging to replace the existing clumsy and heavy one. Cheap 
plain flat red tiles in varied shades should also be manufactured 
for use on roofs and as alternative covering for walls. Slates and 
iron are both stiff in appearance, and the latter allows the heat to 
pass through. 
The verandah is a very important part of a house, for besides 
protecting it from the sun’s rays, it serves the purpose of a sitting 
place, and, now-a-days, it is in general use for sleeping out. Tt is 
therefore, worthy of being treated as an integral portion of the 
building, and instead of the general paltry construction with much 
unnecessary woodwork and mean turned posts, it would he more 
dignified with stout columns or masonry piers, heavy beams and a 
good roof. The floor should preferably be of concrete or tiles — red 
earthenware squares being very suitable. In the country, a verandah 
around the house seems to he appropriate, blit in town or the sub- 
urbs it is sufficient to have one in a suitable position, not necessarily 
near the entrance, of spacious dimensions, for sitting about, and 
another for sleeping out near the bedrooms. This latter might be 
louvred or enclosed with fly-proof gauze, or it might have window's 
and louvres. At any rale, the air should In* always in motion through 
the verandah, and the beds should not be exposed to public view, as 
they generally are. Wall beds might be used where space is limited. 
The oscillating portal ■wall-bed is a very convenient method of 
disposing of the beds out of sight in the daytime, but of course this 
adds considerably to the initial cost of a house — about £40 per lied. 
Sleeping-out, with thick blinds bung on to the verandah, is 
hardly more healthy than sleeping indoors. 
It is strange that although most houses have the roof pitched 
fairly high, no use is made of the space between that and the ceiling. 
It is a great waste of space. Without going* to much expense in 
the way of a staireasc, a plain flight of stairs could be constructed 
and a large portion of the roof space enclosed as attics. These 
could be used as servants’ bedrooms and box rooms, or provide a 
good playroom for children. Of course, the size of the attic would 
not conform to the size of the rooms below and it would he unneces- 
sary to carry up the lower walls. Single boarded partitions only 
would be required in the attic, and asbeslos or plaster hoards would 
form the ceilings and keep out the heat. Dormer windows properly 
placed would give plenty of ventilation, and, if properly constructed, 
there is no reason to fear that attics would be too hot. 
Respecting* Wooden houses, the municipal authorities wrongly 
restrict their erection to certain areas in the suburban townships, 
thereby greatly damaging our timber industry, and entailing un- 
necessary additional expenditure for brick or stone. In manv^cases 
