To the Editor of the Nonrn-Catsa' Darcy New:
Sm,—You would "acquire merit" were you to draw public opinion's notice to the fact that a sensible building law—and that not a dead letter one, but one full of vitality—is becoming wore and_more a crying necessity for Shanghai. When many-storied houses are being built some competent and responsible person should not only scrutinize the plans, but also see to it that the proper amount of since for courtyard actually is there, that the houses have staircases sufficient and one of them at least of non-inflammable material, etc., etc. The deadly monotony of designs cannot be interfered with. but must, T stippose, be left to the taste—which iso conspicuous by its absence—of the individuals concerned. The red and slate barracks and semi-detached monotonies will multiply, but let them at Toast not be quite brick and mortar warrens
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.