ENGINEERING AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 51, 1 March 1941, Page 14

ENGINEERING AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE.

(I.) It -seems timely to offer a few comments upon enpineerinjr a.-> a profft*sio!i for several reason*. Amongst thes« th»ve ie the recent trend in the Dominion towards partial industrialisation coupled with the growing realisation that stiil greater efforts must be ninde in this direction as a contribution to the war effort. Again, ae time passes it beoircx more evident that a country's status, ami well-bein? are jrauged by its ability to utilise effectively the labours of enjrineere. Thus the importance and strength of Great Britain, United States and Germany are due very largely to their engineering achievements. In New Zealand, engineering and all it implies is not understood in a way comparable with other countries. The idea that engineering is intimately related to the manufacture of, or the driving of. engines must be modified drastically if we are gping to accept the recognised interpretation of the term in other partr? of the world. Actually any good dictionary deiinee an engineer as one who contrives, designs or invents. Interpreting thie broadly, we may say that an engineer is a man who designs or supervises the production of worke and machines for the benefit of the community. This definition of the engineer impliee a mastery of natural forces and a full knowledge of the resources of the material world as well as that of the community at large. It can br , appreciated therefore that the demands made upon the engineer are wide and varied. I Many people often speculate as to the most satisfactory method of training an engineer. In this connection much argtl-, nieiit is wasted on the relative, merits ofj practice and theory. Taking a rigid' view of the implications of three word*.? exj>erience eliowe clearly that alon \' neither serves to produce an engiiiec..! A theoretical training consisting of Iretures may produce a philosopher, but i unless the student possesses more tha « an average practical eense, little of it is likely to be of much uee. On the other, hand, a severely practical training Unas', sociated with the natural ability of analysing results restricts the development of new ideas. Tt is axiomatic that a worthy community will alwaye strive to improve the amenities of life. In no small way this places demands upon the engineer to produce new or improved facilities, produced by new method-, each being directed towards placing them at the disposal of greater numbers. The achievement of this desirable state is opposed to the effects of a strictly practical training, where the individual becomes skilled in doing a limited number of things, many of which may have been a survival of methods adopted originally many decades or even centuries ago. On the other hand a purely theoretical training may give rise to much speculation concerning new enterprises, but alone it does not suggest how they may be made actual achievements. Therefore any training organised without due appreciation of this situation ie doomed to failure under modern conditions. Thte has been realised in the School of Engineering. Auckland University College, at which there is a satisfactory blending of theory and practice.—Thos. D. J. Leech, Professor of Engineering. School of Engineering, Auckland University College, February 26, 1941.— (P.8.A.)