An original idea in municipal govern ment has just been carried out in Paris. It was suggested, with a view to encouraging house-owners and architects to live up to the wsthetic ideals for which Paris is famous, that.prizes should be. offered for the handsomest and most original -houses built during.each year. The proposal: was taken up by the Municipal. Council and a committee of. experts nominated: by that body has given awards to six houses completed during 1898. Quite a Inrge number of architects sent in their claims, and as the. prizes, are. to be awarded every year, the iden seems likely to have genuinely good results. Paris, however, is about. the last place in which such a competition is. required. Tt is badly needed in England and might prove useful in some of the Settlements in the Far East.
7th April.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.