The Honeywood Files by H.B. Creswell Page A

seem soft and under-burnt; the red and purple brindled bricks will give me all the variation in colour necessary. I have directed the builder, Mr. John Grigblay, to place the order with you.“ This is a sloppy letter. Spinlove means to say that he accepts the tender on the understanding that the bright, under-burnt bricks are excluded, but he does not say it. He first approves of the samples and the price, and then expresses a preference, only, for the better-burnt and darker bricks—that, at any rate, is an interpretation which the “shrewd, hard-headed business man” that Samuel Smiles taught us to admire (before we taught ourselves to recognize the commercial sharper) would put upon the letter if it helped him to a half-sovereign. In some firms the taking advantage of verbal ambiguities and the dealing in them themselves is part of a daily routine. It is best for an architect to buy only from merchants and manufacturers of established reputation; but whether he does so or not it is his duty to be exact and precise in his directions, or he may mislead an honest man to his disadvantage by the same loose phrases by which he places himself at the mercy of a dishonest one. Hoochkoft’s talk of extra firing is nonsense; if all the bricks were thoroughly burnt some would be over-burnt and there would be waste. Hoochkoft seems to have got our friend Spinlove on toast.
    SPINLOVE TO HOOCHKOFT
    Dear Sirs,17.11.24.
    My order was for facing bricks to sample, but omitting the soft bright-reds. It was for you to amend your price if necessary, but you did not do so, but took the order on the tendered price. I cannot use the soft bricks and no more must be sent on to site.
    Yours faithfully,
    HOOCHKOFT TO SPINLOVE
    Dear Sir,19.11.24.
    We respectfully regret that we cannot agree that the price we quoted and which you accepted was for picked. We are doing our best to reduce the number of bright-reds and do not know what you have to complain of, but we cannot supply picked at same price as ex kiln as quoted, but to meet you will offer you special rate of 175s. per thousand picked.
    Yours faithfully,
    SPINLOVE TO GRIGBLAY
    Dear Sir,20.11.24.
    I enclose copy of my correspondence with Hoochkoft. Can you arrange to take over the bricks thrown out and credit them? The extra cost of the picked bricks will be about £70, as nearly as I can judge.
    Yours faithfully,
    GRIGBLAY TO SPINLOVE
    Dear Sir,22.11.24.
    Another lorry of facings has been delivered with about the same number of soft reds as before. We were willing to throw out from the first load, but you will realize this is going to be a serious matter for us if we are to pick over the whole facings. We estimate 15 percent will have to be thrown out. The only offer we can make is to credit the throwouts against the cost of picking and use them in the back walling. We await your instructions.
    Yours faithfully,
     
    Grigblay’s proposal is fair, but the bargain would, no doubt, favour him. The result would be that Brash would pay 175s. a thousand for perhaps 7,000 extra useless bricks. It seems, therefore, that when Spinlove said he would engage not to run into extras he flattered himself, for his difficulty with the brickyard is entirely his own fault. It will be remembered, however, that Spinlove has included the sum of £300 as a provision for contingencies upon which he can draw without involving Brash in an extra; but I do not recall that he explained to Brash that this £300 provision was to cover the contingency of the architect making mistakes, although it is available for this purpose, as all architects are thankful to know. This is not unfair. A small margin for error is the due of the most exact human machinery.
    SPINLOVE TO HOOCHKOFT
    Dear Sirs,24.11.24.
    A third load of your facing bricks similar to those to which I have objected has been delivered. I have told Mr. Grigblay not to allow any more to be brought on to the site, and I must ask you to send only bricks equal to