APPENDIX No. 2.

PAPERS handed in by Major Harry Barnes, F.R.I.B.A., F.S.I. (See Q. 140.)

MEMORANDUM ON THE R.I.B.A. STATUTORY EXAMINATION.

1. Section 140 of the London Building Acts, 1894, provides:

"The Royal Institute of British Architects may cause to be examined by such persons and in such manner as they think fit all candidates presenting themselves for the purposes of being examined as to their competency to perform the duties of District Surveyor, and shall grant certificates of competency to the candidates found deserving of the same, and a person who has not already filled the office of District Surveyor shall not be qualified to be appointed to that office unless he has received a certificate of competency from the said Institute or has been examined in such other manner as the Council may direct and been found competent in such examination."

The Examination is held by the R.I.B.A. once a year in the month of October.

2. The following is a statement of the number of times the Examination has been held from 1918 to 1927 inclusive together with the number of candidates examined, passed and failed:

1918 District Surveyors: Examined 1, Passed 0, Failed 1.

Building Surveyors: Nil.

1919-Examination advertised, but there were no candidates. Examination therefore not held.

1920-Examination advertised twice, but there were no candidates. Examination therefore not held.

1921-District Surveyors: Examined 2, Passed 1, Failed 1. Building Surveyors: Nil.

1922-District Surveyors: Examined 3, Passed 1, Failed 2.

1923 District Surveyors: Examined 1, Passed 0, Failed 1.

1924-District Surveyors: Examined 1, Passed 0, Failed 1.

Building Surveyors: Nil.

Building Surveyors: Nil.

Throughout the whole of this period the Examination has been advertised.

4. Revision of Examination.

The Council on the 3rd November, 1924, approved certain amendments to the syllabus of the Examinations for District and Building Surveyors.

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5. Special Notices drawing attention to the Examination.

Notes have been published in the R.I.B.A. Journal and the architectural and building papers during the last three years drawing attention to the Examination, and in February, 1926 a letter from the late Mr. Charles Daubney, with a foreword by the Chairman of the Statutory Examiners, Mr. H. D. Searles-Wood, was published in the R.I.B.A. Journal calling attention to the desirability of the qualification of District Surveyor.

A circular letter was also sent on the 15th June, 1925, to the Schools of Architecture recognised for exemption from the R.I.B.A. Examinations and to all Polytechnics and Technical Institutions.

6. The R.I.B.A. Statutory Examiners, the body appointed to conduct the Examinations, have received no communication from the London County Council or from the District Surveyors' Association between the years 1918 and 1927, but a communication was received by the Secretary to the Board of Architectural Education on the 12th March, 1927, in which the Clerk to the London County Council asked that in future the names and addresses of the successful candidates should be sent to him after each Examination.

MEMORANDUM.

Registration Fees for Architects.

1. No definite estimate has yet been made as to the amount of the fees which should reasonably be charged in connection with the Register of Architects.

2. In the Bill it is stated that "such fees and charges only shall be prescribed as shall be not more than reasonably sufficient to provide for the expenses of the Council in the execution of this Act so far as the Council can estimate the same."

3. Any regulations that may be made as to fees will not be valid unless and until they have been approved by the Privy Council, and the Privy Council shall before giving their approval cause the regulations to be published and give interested persons an opportunity of being heard thereon.

4. In the case of Solicitors there is a Registration fee of £1 when the name is entered on the Roll. There is in addition a fee of £4 10s. Od. per annum for the first three years for Solicitors practising in London and £3 per annum for the first three years for Solicitors practising outside the London area. After 3 years on the Roll these fees are increased to £9 and £6 a year respectively.

5. In the case of the Medical Register there is a Registration Fee of £5 on entrance but there is no annual renewal fee.

6. In the case of the Dentists' Register there is a Registration Fee of £5 on entrance, and an annual Renewal Fee of £4.

7. In the case of the Architects' Register the amount of the Fees payable would, to a certain extent, depend on the number of those registered. The larger the number on the Register the less the individual Fee might reasonably be.

8. On the assumption that at an early date not less than 10,000 architects would apply for and secure Registration, it is suggested that an annual Fee of not more than £1 would be quite sufficient. Working experience might show that a substantially lower figure would suffice.

9. An Entrance Fee of £1 might reasonably be charged on first admission to the register, but this would probably not be necessary.

10. The fees for the examination (if any) to qualify for Registration need not be so high as the fees called for by the R.I.B.A. qualifying examinations. These are at present:

£ s. d.

4 4 0

55 0

6 6 0

Reinforced Concrete Regulations.

In October 1905 the Council of the R.I.B.A. on the recommendation of their Science Standing Committee appointed a Committee to draw up rules for the guidance of architects for the use of reinforced concrete. The following bodies were invited and accepted invitations to appoint representatives on this Committee of which Sir Henry Tanner, F.R.I.B.A., was Chairman and Mr. H. D. Searles-Wood, F.R.I.B.A., Hon. Secretary.

The District Surveyors' Association.

The Institute of Builders.

The Municipal and County Engineers' Association.

The Concrete Institute.

The War Office.

The Admiralty.

The first report of this Joint Committee was adopted by the General Body of Members of the R.I.B.A. and published in May, 1907. Previous to this publication there had not been in this country any authoritative pronouncement on the necessary rules to be observed in reinforced concrete construction and the employment of reinforced concrete was practically prohibited for complete buildings under the ordinary rules and regulations. Copies of the report were forwarded to the Local Government Board and the L.C.C. and it became the standard work on the subject. Mr. E. Fiander Etchells who was subsequently added to the Committee to represent the L.C.C. congratulated the Institute on being the pioneers among the learned Societies and Institutions of the country in laying down rules for the guidance of their members as to construction in reinforced concrete.

After the issue of the first report the Joint Committee remained in being and continued their investigations with the result that the report was revised and re-issued in 1911 under the title of the Second Report of the Joint Committee on Reinforced Concrete ".

With regard to the draft revised Reinforced Concrete Regulations prepared by the L.C.C. in 1925, these, when submitted to the Institute were referred to their London Building Acts Committee of which Mr. Searles-Wood was Chairman, and the late Mr. C. A. Daubney, Hon. Secretary. This Committee prepared a comprehensive Memorandum of their views for submission to the L.C.C., but before this was considered by the R.I.B.A. Council the proposal was made and adopted that the R.I.B.A. should act in conjunction with the three other bodies concerned, viz., the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Surveyors' Institution and the Institution of Structural Engineers.

. A Joint Committee of representatives of these four Institutions was formed and Mr. Searles-Wood and the late Mr. Daubney were appointed to represent the R.I.B.A. (on Mr. Daubney's death Mr. W. Henry White (F) was appointed in his place). The R.I.B.A. delegates were fully associated with the representatives of the other Institutions in the action which was taken to endeavour to amend the proposals of the L.C.C., both before the Bill came before the House of Lords and in drafting the Petition to the House on the subject. The R.I.B.A. delegates also attended before the Committee of the House of Lords which was considering the Bill.

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Steel Frame Buildings.

When the proposals of the L.C.C. for the amendment of the London Building Acts on the subject of buildings constructed of steel or iron or of reinforced concrete were submitted to the Institute in 1908, very careful consideration was given to them and constructive criticisms were offered both in writing and in interviews with the County Council's Officials. Eventually, in conjunction with the other bodies interested, a petition was lodged against the Bill, which ultimately became law as the L.C.C. (General Powers) Act, 1909. The late Mr. Edwin T. Hall, who represented the R.I.B.A., was appointed by the various institutions concerned to present the views of a deputation which appeared before the Parliamentary Committee of the L.C.C. and also to give evidence before the Committees of the House of Commons and the House of Lords which considered the Bill.

As recently as 1926, the London Building Acts Committee of the R.I.B.A. prepared a report advocating amendments to the L.C.C. (General Powers) Act, 1909, with respect to the construction of buildings with a skeleton framework of iron or steel. This report was approved by the Council of the R.I.B.A. and was published in the Journal for the information of members.

APPENDIX No. 3.

[Forwarded by Messrs. Sharpe, Pritchard & Co., Parliamentary
Agents.]

PRECIS OF EVIDENCE to be given by Mr. Norman Scorgie, J.P., M.Inst.C.E., Mr. Edward Willis, M.Inst.C.E., F.S.I., on behalf of the Institution of Municipal and County Engineers.

1. The Institution of Municipal and County Engineers was founded in 1873, and was incorporated under the Companies' Acts in 1890. The objects for which the Institution is established which are inter alia:

The promotion of the science and practice of Engineering, Surveying and Sanitation applied to Roads, Bridges, Tramways, Sewerage, Drainage, Water Supply, Lighting, Town Planning and Improvement, Sea and River Improvement and Flood Prevention, Buildings, Sanitary Work, and Public Parks, Gardens and Recreation Grounds; and the science and practice of Geodesy and Architecture, as applied to the foregoing, and to the management, development and improvement of estates; and otherwise to the improvement of health, the conditions of living, housing and locomotion, and to the benefit of Counties, Cities, Towns and of Urban and Rural Districts.

The examination of persons in engineering, geodesy, building construction, surveying, sanitary science and works, and the law relating thereto; and the granting of the certificates of the passing of the Institution's Examination to persons who have so passed in the above mentioned, or some of them.

A copy of the Memorandum of Association, Articles of Association and Bye-Laws is attached.

2. The Membership of the Institution includes almost all the engineers and/or surveyors to Local Government Authorities in Great Britain, and a considerable number elsewhere in the British Empire.

The numbers on 31st March, 1927, were as follows:

18

2,151

916

412

40

3,537

3. The Testamur Examination, which has been held without interruption since 1886, and the "Testamur" awarded to successful candidates is valued by Local Government Authorities. A copy of the Examination Regulations is attached.

4. Members and Associate Members are not eligible for election unless they have passed the Testamur Examination or an examination of a similar standard.

5. The Institution is a constituent member of the Engineering Joint Council, the other members of which are the Institutions of Civil Engineers and Mechanical Engineers, of Electrical Engineers and of Naval Architects.

6. There is no definite dividing line between Engineering and Architecture, the principles of Science and Art being applicable to both. 7. Engineers commonly design and erect buildings and other structures in connection with their work.

8. Structures such as bridges, which might be and have been claimed as architecture, are almost invariably designed and erected by engineers.

9. Municipal and County Engineers are frequently called upon by Local Government Authorities to carry out architectural work, and have done so artistically, efficiently and economically.

10. In many instances Local Authorities employ a salaried architect, Surveyor and Municipal Engineer as one combined appointment.

11. Architects in private practice have little opportunity of obtaining experience in designing structures such as are required by Local Authorities.

12. Local Authorities must have a professional salaried whole-time officer to advise them on the administration of building bye-laws, &c., which are framed for securing the safety of the public against the erection of dangerous structures.

13. For housing schemes an important part of the work is the design of the roads, water and sewerage systems, whilst the design of the houses may and actually does conform to a few types.

14. Unless the Local Authorities are exempted from the Act they must either abandon the use of the terms "architect," "architectural," &c., or appoint a registered architect to carry out work of which by far the greater part is engineering to the exclusion of engineers trained and qualified to do it.