In the planning of the construction of the small house, the architect has many problems of selection, such as the choosing of this brand of roofing material from among many makes or the specifying of this type of furnace from among many patterns, and, in fact, the selection of the best type and the best materials which the market affords in all branches of structural and mechanical devices. If he does not specify any one brand, but merely states that the contractor shall use an approved make of paint or an acceptable brand of hydrated lime, he has merely deferred his ultimate choice in the matter to a later date, for in the end he must decide whether the particular make or brand is acceptable, and in order to do this he must know enough about the various makes and brands on the market to judge wisely and in a fair spirit, for the chief motive in back of the contractor’s choice will be rather one of money than quality. [Illustration] The problem, therefore, which confronts the architect in acting as judge of materials and brands as to their quality is very serious and extremely full of pitfalls, and outside of his personal experience and that of his friends, the choice must be made upon the claims of the manufacturers as presented in advertisements. Now, of course, the difficulties which advertising literature presents are the overstatements which are found in them and the suppression of facts which appear to the makers as derogatory of their product. But if the circulars of information and advertising statements are collected for any one type of mechanism or any one type of material or system of construction, it will be found that the truth of the matter will be implanted in the accumulated statements of the various concerns manufacturing these mechanisms or materials. What one manufacturer does not say another will, and very often a rival firm will reveal the defects of its competitor’s products by its advertisements. In fact, if you want to find out what is the “nigger in the wood-pile,” read the advertisements of a rival manufacturer. Of course it is not good taste in advertising to knock the other fellow’s products, but general statements are made which are enough to enlighten the alert reader as to what should be the good points to look for. For example, suppose the architect knew little or nothing about what should be the good qualities of a hot-air furnace of the pipeless type, but had before him the advertisements of various makers which we will designate as _A_, _B_, _C_, _D_, and _E_, although the quotations which are given are accurately taken from real advertisements of well-known firms, the identity of which we have purposely concealed under the assumed titles of the letters of the alphabet.