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THE OSHAWA DAILY TIMES on Comparative Merits Trend of Building Furnishes Technical and Trade Intéresting Revelations-- Papers Execute a Complete Volte-Face--A New Angle of Looking at Fire Risks. By W. M. GILBERT, President Oshawa Lumber Company. E present trend of build. ing can only be considered in the light of the com. tive information afforded a little retrospection. There are really three periods which we must scan in order to ar- vive at our present standing, The first period is that of our great-qrandfathet's time, when lum- r was the only quickly available _ building material, and when of ne- cessity it had to be cut in order to clear the land which had been taken up in the new country to make homes for pioneer settlers. The next period is that time when our country was becoming more pop- ulous and manufacturing industries were being established, making avail. able other materials than lumber out of which buildings could be construct. ed. This might almost be called the brick-and-stone period, as it witness- ed an almost total eclipse of frame buildings by those of stone and brick. The explanation of such ec- lipse may be found in the faults dis- covered in those early buildings and also in the fact that the land had been pretty well cleared of its for. ests. Further transportation facilities by rail and water were neither ade- quate nor well organized, The third period we find almost equally divided as between frame buildings and those of otlier ma- terials. This period might almost be called an experimental one. The first two were periods of necessity: the country was 'young, the population scant and buildings had to be erected and made as comfortable as possible with the materials at hand. By now though the country had progressed far enough to essay a certain amount of experimentation. In. this period an attempt was made to overcome the faults of the twe previous periods and considerable" improvement was accomplished, --in fact it is hard to draw the line of demarcation between this time and our present building trend. The only real difference is that in the next previous period our architects and builders were not quite sure of their ground, while now noth- ing is left to conjecture, Increased Use of Lumber "The 'Fésults of years of research Gmork by governmental departments and private enterprise are all avail. able to us in such understandable, concise form, that to proceed along hit-and-miss lines, such as those fol- lowed. previously, would indeed be a mistake and a foolhardy plan to fol- low out. We now have definite in- formation which through experimen- tation and actual practice shows us which is the correct material to use in any one place. It is a curious thing to note, but nevertheless it is true, that this present trend really consti» tutes a renaissance in building, so far at least as the lumber industry is. concerned. Our trade journals, in their editor- ial articles and advertising, give us desirable elements in frame construgc- tion, and then set down where these objections wi e faulty or untrue. Through all these periods no ma. terial has yet been brought forth which possesses within itself as a building material all the virtues pos- sessed by. wood, In the first place, there is the low cost of manufacturé--perhaps one of the most important, if not the most important feature in this present day of economy, Lumber is easy to work --in fact it is the easiest of all our building materials to work, and lends itself to unlimited schemes of decora- tion, so that individuality, not ob- tainable with any other material, may be shown In every corner, in every building, in every home; futhermore, the cost of that decoration is not nearly so great as it is made out to be by the proponents of substitute material. All things considered, it costs less to keep a frame house decorated than a brick or stone resi- dence. _ Nature has endowed wood with an internal preserving content and a cel- lular construction which guarantees a length of life and an insulating value not producible in any schemes yet de- vised by man. There are homes in Ontario standing today as strong, sturdy and rigid as the day they were built--houses which have been serving their owners for more than a century. At the half-way point he- tween Oshawa and Whitby, on the north side of the road, there is a frame house--built of original white pine--the life of which has been de- finitely traced back by the writer one hundred and twelve years, It is an excusable doubt that a building of any other material has stood in this community for this length of time, Standard of Insulation If any quality of wood has been improved upon by man through the process of manufacture, it is that of insulation. This perhaps, too, is one of the most distinct departures in the present trend of building. It has become recognized that many of the wastes of buildings heretofore con- structed centre around the fact that those huildings themselves were not tight. By that we mean weather- tight, and heat and cold-proof, Build- ings which are not properly insulated are wasteful, not only in the im- proper adaptation of the material used in their construction, but also in the fact that practically everything else that enters into their construc- tion is not functioning to the best advantage: heating systems are wasteful, and comfort is an almost negiigible quantity, It is gratifying to us as Canadians --or at least it should be--to know that Canadian brains, Canadian en- terprise and Canadian capital, have evolved what, up to the present at least, is pre-eminently the best in- sulation material we have; and 1t has been evolved out of Canadian bility of wood should not be blamed for the fire, because there is no fire in wood itself. The fire must come from an outside scource. If we stop- ped to consider what our insurance underwriters had done by way regulations respecting the installation of heating and lighting apparatus, we should appreciate their honesty of purpose and we should also see the reasonableness of the stand they take, in that this material must be protect- ed against the faults of other mater- ials and human carelessness. \We can eliminate from our minds the fact that frame buildings are a greater fire risk than others. The careless workman, the careless tenant or own- er is the fire risk, It is not the ma- terial of which the building is made. Another 'argument has been that owing to climatic changes lumber and timber are subject to great warpin and twisting. This is well-founded, and until the present cutting, piling and drying methods were brought in- to being it was absolutely true. This, however, was one of the difficulties which had to be overcome, and it is now eliminated, Shrinkage of hoards and beams was the main objection in the homes of those hardy pioneers who cut their own lumber and built their own houses in the process of clearing the land for cultivation, -- Greater Oshawa Edition SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1928 will pull both walls with it, complete- fuining the whole structure and ninating any hope of salvage. Al- most the direct opposite is noticed when timber construction is used. There is less waste when the interior of the building is of timbered or what we call factory construction, . The wood will burn out, but it will not ull the walls with it: it leaves them ntact wnd fit for rebuilding right on them, in their original state. A casual survey of the Body Factory on King Street West, Oshawa, burned early this spring, is a glowing example of how this comes about. These walls are solid and are fit for reconstruce tion. This is due to the fact that the timbering burnt out. Had steel been used, the walls themselves would have been destroyed also. Use of Forests There is one more consideration-- forest conservation. The late Theor dore Roosevelt said--"Wise forest conservation does not mean the with- drawal of forest resources, whether wood, water or grass, from contri- buting their full share to the welfare of the people. On the contrary, it gives the assurance of larger and more certain supplies. The funda- mental idea of forestry is the perpet- uation of forests by use. Forest pro- tection is not an end of itself: it is Wiring the Home for Convenience The comfort and satisfaction de- rived from a home is measured by convenience. In a modern home, con- venience is, to a great extent, a mat. ter of electrical service, the effect- iveness of which depends on the completeness of the wiring system. Complete wiring is neither complica- ted nor expensive. A complete wiring system should provide adequate outlets, conveni- ently controlled, using the best ma- terials throughout. The following are the essential elements: first, a safety entrance switch; second, a safety distribution panel (where the fuses are); third, a bell ringing transform. er; fourth, metal boxes for light, switch and convenience outlets; fifth, a tumbler switch at every doorway; sixth, at least one standard outlet in each room; seventh, a minimum of one convenience outlet to every 15 ft. of baseboard. The completely wired home opens its doors to the whole range of home machinery. The vacuum cleaner takes over the hard labor of sweeping and furniture cleaning. The electric washing machine and electric ironer A perfect setting has heen arranged for the large Old English house for Mr. Ewart McLaughlin, The lot, 270 feet by 267 feet, is laid out with per- golas and wonderful rose and peony beds and dotted with beautiful trees and shrubbery, The well known land- scape gardener, John Hug, has laid this out with plants supplied by E. D. Smith & Son, noted nurserymen, Residence of Ewart McLaughlin. A winding drive runs past the house to the garage which is situated at | the back and gonnected to the house with a conservatory, The house itself, which is set up on a flagstone terrace, is an excellent example of Old English architect- ure. The entrance is especially note- worthy with its beautiful oak carving. The living room and library on the south side of the house look out over the lawn and gardens. The main fea- ture of the living room 1s the nlaster decoration of iling, while the first thing that strikes one's eye in the library is the walnut panelling and the built in walnut hook shelves The large hall on the second floor leads to five beautifully decorated hed rooms. The master bedroom has a private tile bathroom strictly up-to- date, the ce Their lumber was sawn as best they could at that time, and of course it was subject to all the errors of im- proper equipment. Present-day prac- tice has reached a degree of profi- ciency which is really amazing when we consider how it has been applied, Load was a factor in these periods and this, too, has heen overcome by manufacturing methods. Proper lab- oratory tests show us what sizes and shapes stand strains the best for each specific purpose, and our sawmill men are making these sizes and shapes standard the country over. We are not sawing our lumber for floor joist, for instance, in a haphazard The above residence, recently com- pleted, is ome of the. better homes of the city, containing tem rooms Residence of H. H. Henchel. with a separate two-car garage. The uilding has been appropriately car- ried out in the English Domestic style of half timber and stucco, and was erected under contract by Ed. Smith, of Oshawa, under the direc- tion of G. Roper Gouinlock, Regis- tered Architect, Toronto. a means to increase and sustain the resources of our country and the in- dustries which depend upon them." Thus, then, true conservation does not lie in the non-use of our forests, but in their proper use. Trees are much like humans. They have a period of youth which is a growing period: they have a period of middle age,--maturity, a repro- ductive period; they have a period of old age before their final time comes --a period when their use diminishes fast, year by year, Why, then, is it conservation to let our trees reach this old age state, when their hearts have rotted away, and they are nothing but empty shells, not good even for firewood! The proper course is to cut them when they are at their prime, when the full tree has attained all its growth and is solid from bark to centre over its full length. Its seeds have: fallen on the ground adjacent to it; its seedlings are growing up under it; it is being reproduced; and unless it is cut, those seedlings will only be. choked out by its overshad- owing, It follows that cutting at this period promotes natural reforest- ation and preserves for man's use the full quality of the tree. Lumbering stands - second in the scale as a producer of pational wealth. We should be unfair to our- selves and to posterity if we did not use our forests intelligently and in their proper application. the A word regarding the duty of the retail lumberman as he himself feels it to his industry and to his commun- ity in this new scheme of things. All lumbermen who are at heart good lumbermen, Jove the lumber business, and are mot ashanied to ad- mit it. They know their commodity and have a warmth of feeling towards it which is not found in any other line of endeayour. They, then, are the ones to advise the prospective build- er as to the materials to be used. A good lumberman will always advise you to consult your architect po loy none but the most competen _- id s. The combination of these ready and accurate a barometer i trend as it is possible Way We yan ildi of na United States devoted eight ir editorial articles and per cent. of the advertising ad- A frame is much more an fay- timbered | oe other construction dab RB 2 pian Holds Its Own ; There are good reasons for this "about face." Perhaps the easiest way to explain it would be to discuss those 3 'hich had been considered un- A wood. It is mot a mew product, neither is it 2 new idea: it is only the proper adaptation of the quality of our Canadian spruce to our pres- ent meeds. The rigidity, the structural strength, and the insulation qualitics of this material are so incomparably above everything else that it has been adopted as the standard of insula- tion by the British Bureau of Stand- ards. ire. One of the most abused arguments agaist lumber in the construction of d | homes was that a greater fire-risk was created than when other materials were used. This argument is erron- cous and entirely unfair to the great- est building material with which we find ourselves provided. We of the lumber industry do mot deny the fact that lumber is combustible ; we do not deny that a frame house will burn more readily than one constructed of solid concrete, stone, brick or stee!; but we do submit that the combusti- way, and making sure it is heavy enough. That is a waste. We are sawing it to direct specifications laid down by our most eminent architects and engineers. There is no waste lum- ber,--and furthermore, there is mo waste effort. An interesting study available to all of us, particularly those of us who live in Oshawa, is the use of timber for factory comstruction. Let us con- sider what happens when the con- tents of an industrial buildi do become ignited, causing a fire. If the posts and beams and joists of that building are composed of steel, the heat generated by the burning cone tents of the building will warp that steel and twist it out of all blance two men--the architect and a2 good builder--is an admirable one, and al- ways cheaper in the long run. In ninety-nine cases out of every hundred the lumberman is competent to advise the prosp:ctive builder. He will offer suggestions as to the latest building developments and will furn- ish an estimate of what a building will cost. The lumberman has his own special functions to perform, and they are functions which are assuming more and more value in the construc- i scheme of things. Knewledge is essential to conquest; only according to our ignorance are we helpless. Thought creates char- acter. Character can dominate condi- tions. Will creates circumstances and of its former shape. The steel itself must be anchored within the side walls of the building, and I care not whether they are made of brick, stone or concrete, when that steel twists, it will pull away, and in doing so, it enyirg t.--Anne Besant. It is well for a man to respect his own vocation whatever it is, and to think himself bound to uphold it, and to claim for it the respect it de- serves.--Charles Dickens. At Harmony, an attractive home is that of R. Moffatt. The building has two storeys and attic and is of stucco construction. The interior trim is white enamel and mahogany doors. Hotwater heating is installed and there are two bathrooms. A rather unusual feature is a private water supply. Downstairs there are a re- Residence of R, Moffatt, Harmony. ception room, sun-rooms, four large living rooms and a kitchen, and up. stairs four bedrooms with dressing rooms. There are two bathrooms, G. F, Turney was the builder, lift the drudgery of the laundry from the housewife's shoulders. A tiny motor performs the hard tasks of the kitchen, You can realize complete electrical satisfaction only if you are able to make convenient use of electrical ap- pliances; only as you can change the arrangement of the lamps as you desire; only as you can make elec- tricity a servant who follows or pre- cedes you from room to room, ready at every point to light your way and lighten your labor, Complete wiring is the road to a hundred comforts, Electric, heating devices, percolators, urns, toasters, grills and the like are available on the porch or in the sun parlor in summer, in the dining room and liv- ing room at all times, and, when oc- casion requires, in the bedrooms and sickroom. Electric fans supply cool- ing breezes and keep the air live and fresh in any part of the house; elec- tric heaters make cosy the cold corners in fall and winter; electric curling irons, heating pads, and flat- irons can be used at any convenient point, Give us, O give us the man who sings at his work! Be this occupa- tion what it may, he is equal to any of those who follow the same pur- suit in silent sullenness. He will do | more in the same time--he will do it better--he will persevere longer, One is scarcely sensible to fatigue while he marches to music. The very stars are said to make harmony as | they revolve in their spheres. --Carlyle. Practical Points in Plumbing Practice Considered broadly, plumbing con- sists of three parts: one is the sys- tem of piping that brings water in- to the house; another is the piping that takes it out; the third is made up of fixtures. A home may have the bare bones of all this, rigorously simple, economical, but it may be made to function much more con- veniently if some additional fittings and equipment are provided. The kitchen sink offers opportuni- ties for the plumber to exercise his art, especially with respect to the faucet. If one must get along with the bare necessities, the separate hot and cold water faucets supply these. But the combination faucet is a time saver, a "convenience outlet." With this device the temperature of the water may be adjusted. There is a swinging nozzle, an attachment | for a bit of hose with a spray head. | Lavatories also may be equipped with | combination faucets. Another convenience outlet of the lavatory is the "pop-up" waste. In place of the ordinary rubber stop- per attached to a chain there is a knob on the top of the lavatory that can be raised or lowered to regulate waste of water, This costs a little extra, but brings added con- venience, The hot water system may he ex- tended: through many stages from ne- cessities to luxuries, with degrees of cost and convenience all along the line. For example, the simplest water heater is a loop that extends into the house heater, from which the hot water -supply is derived in the winter time. An auxiliary gas coil does the work when the furnace is not going, but this gas coil may be a frugal device that is lighted from time to time only when required, or it may be one that operates auto. matically. Some of these operate when the hot water faucet is open- ed, Others are controlled by a ther. mostat so that there is always an abundant supply of tempered water, ---------------- All business as now conducted-- particularly those lines of business which embrace the so-called indus. trics--requires specialized training and technical education, in fact so much scientific knowledge that the distinctive line between "business" and "profession" is fast disappearing, Anyone who hopes to achieve suc- cess, even the average, must know more, or at least as much, about some one thing as any other one, and not only know, but know how to do--and how to utilize his experience and knowledge for the benefit of others. The crying evil of the young man who enters the businss world today is the lack of application, preparation, and thoroughness, with ambition but without the willingness to struggle to gain his desired end. Mental and physical strength comes only through the exercise and working of mind and body. There is too little idea of per- sonal responsibility; too much of "the world owes me a living," forgetting that if the world does ewe you a living you yourself must be your own collector. --Theodore N. Vail, tosum flower: A useful plant for borders or Rock Garden. Cerastium tomen- ing in our Highway Gardens, T'he Mock Orange or Syringe delphus grandiflorus) in Austrian Pine. The best Pine for lawn specimens and city planting, (Phila full bloom at our Nurseries. General , ing in our Highway Gardens CANADIAN-GROWN EVERGREENS SHRUBS PERENNIALS Stock grown north of Lake Ontario is quite hardy and no varieties are listed until proved satisfactory in this climate, We have growing in our nurseries an immense selection and in our catalogue will be found lists, description and advice. Copy mail ed free on request. SHERIDAN - NURSE Head Office--4 St. Thomas Street, Toronto, 5. Nurseries--260 Acres, ROSES ALPINES RI Clarkson, Ont. Buperior A. Janssen flowers TREES