ABSTRACT
That the growth of professionalism is coincident with the growth of social disease in the case of the architectural profession as well as in law and medicine is an opinion that has been held by the highest authorities. Any one who is vitally interested in architecture as an art, and is familiar with the economics of the profession, will find it impossible to resist a conclusion, for as it exists to-day the architectural profession has not within itself the elements of permanence. Architects, as they existed during Renaissance times, were mainly the exceptional men of the building trades who had become specialized in design because of their superior gifts. They were few in number, and were only employed on the most monumental work ; ordinary buildings were still designed by the master builders. The profession is flooded with men who are not in the architectural tradition, but come in from the estate agency end of things.
