THE HAWEA'S BREAKDOWN.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13250, 19 October 1908, Page 3

THE HAWEA'S BREAKDOWN.

. __ « - HONOURING THE ENGINEERS. (PRESS ASSOCIATION' TELEGRAM.) DUNEDIN, October 17. Representatives of the Institute of Marine Engineers and a largo number of leading citizens and .representatives of the engineering trade assembled in the Town Hall at noon to-day to make a public recognition of the meritorious skill of the engineers on tho occasion of the recent breakdown of the Hawea. The engineers honoured were Mr Joseph McLean, Lyttelton, chief engineer; Mr A. C. Carman, Wellington, second; and Mr F. J. Ritson, Wellington, third. His "Worship the Mayor, Mr J. McDonald, presided. The acting-Town Clerk, read the following letter: —"To Mr J.. McLean, chief engineer. Dear sir, —We have been directed by the executive, supported by the unanimous vote of tho members of your Institute, to place upon record and to convey to you their congratulations upon " the splendid work achieved by you in connection with the s.s. Hawea" during the recent breakdown. Tho engineers of New Zealand feel proud of you, and highly appreciate the resourcefulness and skill displayed under such dangerous, difficult, and trying circumstances. You havo added to the list of great deeds accomplished by marine engineers, and it has been decided to bestow upon you the gold emblem of the Institute as a memento of your accomplishment. We express the hope that many years of usefulness lie before you, and that yonr brave action will serve as an incentive to all engineers in time of danger and difficulty^— Yours very sincerely, J. Darling (President), A. R. Hislop (Secretary)." The Mayor then presented the medals to the three engineers, and mentioned, amidst applause, that they were all New Zealanders. Their health was drunk with musical honours. Mr McLean, Mr Carman, and Mr Ritson briefly responded. The Mayor mentioned that tho firemen deserved great credit for the way in which they assisted to reoair the shaft. The Hon. J. R. Sinclair, in proposing tho toast of the Union Steam Ship Company, said the company wero hound up with tho community, and thero was no moro enterprising and no more up-to-date company in Australasia. Tho management had been most enterprising, and they saw to-day the stamp of men the company wero fortunate enough to 'havo on tho staff of their steamers. Mr A. Burt, in reply, said tho Institute of Murine Engineers offered a valuable object lesson to the industrial community. If all the industrial associations copied their methods of dealing with disputes and grievances with their employers, the employers' associations would not require to dovoto so much attention to tho business of tho Arbitration Court. Tho' skill and resource shown by Messrs McLean, Carman, and Ritson showed that tho New Zealand engineering factories wero capable of turning out men equal to any in the world.