PROBLEMS AHEAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 48, 26 February 1941, Page 3

PROBLEMS AHEAD.

WORK FOR ENGINEERS.

POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION

The view that there lay before the engineering profession not only reconstruction upon an undreamt-of scale, but opportunities for planning and redesign, was expressed by the president of the New Zealand Institution of Engineeis, Mr. E. Hitchcock, at the annual meeting in Christclmrch to-day. As engineers they saw their fellow men adapt, convert and apply the great forces of Nature to the orgies of devastating destruction. Apart from the destruction of human live?, there was the Joss of architectural treasures and the contents of buildings and ships. Ihe gigantic destruction of engineering work of all kinds must arrest the attention of engineers and arouse their amazement. Recovery Possibilities. 'There are some tremendous facts which may have a new meaning and stirring significance," the president added. "Never before was the world's productivity as prolific as it is to-day. Our very powers of destruction arc a measure of the peace potentiality. If, when peace comes, this great problem of the diversion of enormous powers of productivity into other channels can in any measure l>e achieved, the possibilities of recovery tnav indeed be memorable.

"The engineer cannot divorce himself from this problem," "Mr. Hitchcock continued. "Part of it—the engineering part -is essentially his. The other part -the human part—he dare 110 longer disown. The engineering instruments are convertible as swords to ploughshares. The needs of war are providing them lavishly. If the engineer, followin,cr his normal and proper function, can help to link these instruments with sound principles of human government, nationally and internationally, (great indeed may be liis part in the days, that are to be.

very training and calling," Mr. Jjjp.dicoek said, "the engineer shonVl become the apostle of design and order in the realms where they are not. We as engineers cannot readily take our share in human emancipation unless we free ourselves from some very real shackles and approach our problems in the social and international realms as open-mindedly as we endeavour to do in the engineering realm. Two Hampering Shackles. "There are two such hampering shackles of which, T am sure, many engineers must be conscious, but regarding which fhe majority of us arc unaware and largely unconcerned. One is the fact that, the humanities cannot be calculated; they elude our normal processes. In one respect, therefore, hut not necessarily in all respects, our training lessens our fitness for human problems. The other shackle we share with all mankind, but we do share it. We are politically 'pre-cast.' That should be fully explanatory to any engineer."

The president stated that there had been a fond notion that engineering activities could, in some exalted and professional manner, be insulated from the ebb and flow and conflict of"the life of human society. The engineer might achieve some measure of this aloofness, but he could not live wholly unto himself. Whether lie liked it or not. his works did follow him. and his works were intimately related to human beings. The activities of the engineer were likely to become of increasing sociological significance, and correspondingly to become more susceptible to community control. Trained in design and construction, who better than the engineer, sociologically awakened, should be able to demonstrate that the social structure is made for man and not man for the social structure? Creation of Power Boards. "In our own country, one of the most interesting illustrations of this fact was probably the creation of power boards," said Mr. Hitchcock. "The stage was reached in the history of the Dominion when electrical supply had to be more fully ushered in. Country as well as town claimed that this great force of Nature should make its full contribution to human well-being. In consequence, engineering became closely concerned with a new phase of the social structure. A new type of local body was required adequately to implement this power for the use and convenience of man. The power board c.ime into being, with new functions, new features, new characteristics, and very definitely with a new political incidence."