shed architect in
New York, seconded by skilful and devoted assistants, can make out of
his business; but men so successful are extremely rare exceptions in
the profession, and the "hosts" of "small fry" whose annual profits
amount to fifty thousand dollars, of course, do not exist. It would be
a waste of time to notice such ridiculous assertions, were it not that
they do a great deal of harm to the profession and the public: to the
profession by making people believe that architects are combined to
extort an unreasonable compensation for their work; and to the public
by spreading the idea that the profession of architecture is just the
one in which their sons can become rapidly rich without much trouble.
It would be a useful thing to publish here, as is done in England, the
value of the estate left at their death by architects of distinction,
although in many cases this is greatly increased by inheritance, by
marriage, by fortunate investments or by outside employment; but, if
this should be done, it would be not less useful to publish also a few
true accounts of the early trials and struggles of architects. How
many of them have we known who have given drawing-lessons, illustrated
books, designed wall-papers, supervised laborers, delivered
lyceum-lectures or written for newspapers, happy if they could earn
two dollars a day while waiting for a vacancy in the "hosts" of
architects with a thousand dollars a week income. How many more, who
were glad of the help of their faithful young wives in eking out the
living which had love for its principal ingredient. And of those who
have persisted until time and opportunity have brought them a
comparatively assured, though modest position, how many have found
their way to it through architecture? If we are not mistaken, less
than half of the trained students in architecture turned out by our
technical schools are to be found in the profession six years later.
The others, ascertaining, on a closer view, that their expected income
of fifty thousand dollars a year is farther off than they anticipated,
and that fifty thousand cents is about as much as they can expect for
a good many years to come, drift away into other employments, and some
of them, no doubt, will be much astonished to learn from the newspaper
reporters what they have missed.

* * * * *

We regret very much to hear of the death of Mr. George F. Durand,
Vice-President of the Canadian