(1.) By allotting even numbers on one side of the street and odd numbers on the other side.
(2.) By allotting consecutive numbers up one side of the street, and down the other side.
(3.) By allotting corresponding numbers to both sides of the street, which are distinguished by a prefix of north and south, or east and west, as the case may require.
The first is by far the best method to pursue, for the following reasons:
If the street is ever extended after being numbered, the sequence is in no way disturbed. By this method any house can be more easily found, as on reference to a directory it will at once be seen at which end of the street it is situated. If the second method had been adopted this would be impossible, except for the first few numbers, and where a street is of considerable length with branch streets running into it this is of the greatest importance. It is the best method also for the Post-Office officials, as it facilitates the district sorting of the letters.
Giving each side of the street distinctive prefixes to its name, such as north and south, &c., is evidently a bad plan, and leads to much confusion.
In allotting numbers to premises in a street, if it has been already numbered care should be taken to disturb existing numbers as little as possible, for an altered number involves considerable expense as well as inconvenience to the occupier of business or trade premises, owing to the necessity of altering bill heads, letter paper, &c., and sometimes even considerable trouble and expense in order to secure the validity of the title.
Avoid numbering from right to left, and take care to allot sufficient numbers to vacant spaces which may eventually be built upon, and to do this the length of frontage may be divided into such lengths as (in the surveyor’s judgment) will represent the new frontages. In any case it is better to have too many numbers in a street than too few, and large premises, and any public or other buildings which may be removed, and other buildings substituted should have numbers allotted to them, although it will not be necessary to serve the notices to have them affixed. Most large shops prefer to have more than one number, although I have heard the rather far-fetched contention urged, that more than one number means extra rating.
Considerable care must be exercised to ensure that no separate premises are passed over in allotting the numbers, often only a door or side passage denoting the existence of another claimant for a number. Nothing looks worse in a freshly numbered street than to see such numbers as 37A or 96¹⁄₂ placed upon premises that should have had a distinct numeral, and thus showing that they must have been left out.
The manner in which streets are numbered is generally as follows: