Great Britain is not troubled by' the skyscraper, although the tendency to introduce it has begun. 'Many people may think that, from 'a building owner's point of view, the high building is almost necessarily the cheapest from that_of original cost, and maintenance. 'The reverse seems, however, to be the ease. 'To make a modern skyscraper' pay dividends demands the full cooperation of the designer, owner, builder, building manager and real state agents. The architect has better chance of keeping out of, trouble if he works with these other directors, taking into account the elements of cost of land and building, the demand for space and the value of the space created. It is difficult for the stay-at-home Englishman or European properly, to visualize what these great buildings mean. Some of them house several thousand people. Many a town of historical significance and considerable modern economic signi ficance in Great Britain does not five thousand, and there are several single buildings in Now York that room from nine to five to many more human beings than this. time for which no compensation can be expected. Flottes, however, did what he regarded as his duty; land he is now being rewarded by being kept waiting for hours in the lobbies of the Palais de Justice and Being frequently eross-questioned land eviticised. He has identified Almazoff as the man whom he drove to the Gare clu Nord with the trumk.
Almazoff says he has never seen Flottes and that the latter's story isa wicked machination against him. Flottes indignantly protests that he is an honest man, which nobody doubts, but even honest men may be mistaken, and, so far, no confirmation of his story is forthcoming.
One can sce, therefore, that the modern engineering architect not' only has to study the methods financing these huge structures, and the cost of operation and the resultant income, but he has to have in mind the safety and com: fort of the tenants, the economy and operation of upkeep, the ral ity and safety of entrances, exit and of transportation through the building and the' protection of the building itself and its occup. fants from weather, fire and ae cident. And ince these buildings built to pay dividends there is rising a totally different type of architect for the skyscraper type of structure.
But what astounds one even mor than the height of these skyscrapers is the rapi with which they are erected. There is a building at the present time going up in Wall Street, The decision in their place a gigs all in the space of one year. This has necessitated excavation in rock far below the street 24 hours day, and foundations went nm tone' side of the property whil lo steam shovels and drills carried on the other.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.