The Press THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1952. Shortage of Engineers

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26869, 23 October 1952, Page 8

The Press THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1952. Shortage of Engineers

At a celebration to mark the opening of an electricity-supply substation at Bunnythorpe, the City Engineer of Palmerston North (Mr G. F. Hogg) usefully added to a considerable volume of comment about the great need for engineering skill for the further development of New Zealand. The burden of Mr Hogg’s comment has been stated before; but it will need repetition ■ until both the Government and the people thoroughly understand it. Both should be helped by points made by Mr Hogg, and in particular by his contention that a shortage of qualified engineers can not only i retard development work, but can i also endanger works that must : perforce be carried through, because | a shortage of qualified men to carry out necessary investigation can lead j to important decisions being made |on inadequate information. The I possibilities of costly errors and oi public money not being spent to the I best advantage are obvious. Mr -Hogg points out that although the responsibility of engineers in New Zealand is increasing, the work oi the profession is growing more complex, and the magnitude oi public works has vastly increased, there are no more qualified

engineers in New Zealand today than there were 30 years ago. The consultative committee on the education, training and supply of professional engineers showed that in 1916 there were 845 professional engineers for every million of population in New Zealand; in 1948 the proportion had fallen to 630 a million. The proportion in the United States is 2250 to a million. There has been little, if any, improvement in New Zealand since the consultative committee reported I in 1949. It is true that since the present Government took office s salary scales have been increased, ' and that this has enabled the Ministry of Works to advertise overseas for engineers with a limited amount of success —how limited is shown in this year’s ■ Ministry of Works Statement. J Overseas recruitment saved the department from a critical shortage of staff; but even so, the 84 recruits | from Britain and Holland did not = compensate for the 88 engineers lost ' to the department in the year through resignation, retirement and death. Recently the Government engaged a firm of British civil engineers to design the projected I Atiamuri hydro-electric station on the Waikato river; and while in the circumstances this was a justifiable, “ indeed necessary, expedient to relieve the inadequate and over- “ burdened designing staff, the 9 decision drew attention to the con- » ditions that made it necessary. The same recourse may not always be

available; and a permanent remedy must be sought. Sufficient engineers must be educated and trained in New Zealand for government, local body and private needs; and the financial and other rewards must be sufficient to attract young men to the profession, and to hold them in this country. As Mr Hogg has shown, it may be a false and very expensive economy to economise with essential professional skill.