WAR AND INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 45, 21 February 1917, Page 20

WAR AND INDUSTRY

EFFECT OF WITHDRAWALS

reference at engineers' coktebence; During the course of his address to members of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers last evening, the retiring president (Mr,, E. W. Holmes, Engineer-in-Chief to the Public Works Department) made reference to the war, and its effect on the profession. He said : — "The war is still running its awful course, taking severe toll, not only of our substance, but of the best of our manhood..' These are losses from which we shall take many years to recover; but no one can deny, that this Dominion possesses natural advantages which will enable the recovery to be made at a greater rate than in any other part of the British Empire, provided, of course, that the present suicidal policy of going slow which is being pursued by a large proportion of the 'population is either abandoned or counteracted. We are now feeling in earnest the effects of the withdrawal of so many men from the ranks of industry. There is hardly anyone but ■ what is doing extra work thrown upon him by the departure of a soldier, and I am sure these extra duties are in every case cheerfully performed. / "In order to give some idea of the extent to which the war is affecting public and private industries and businesses, the following reference is made to the_ present condition of the engineering staff of the Public Works Department:—The total number of engineers on the current classification list is 112. Deducting two deaths and four resignations -this leaves the strength of the engineering. staff at present 106. The number enlisted is 48, leaving the effective strength at present at 58. Of these there are 21 over military ago, 31' in.Second Division of, Reserve, four unfit for active service, 1 and two in First Division. Total, 58. -To the number enlisted must be added, two who were killed at tho front, either last year or;, the" year before, making a total of 50 enlistments. ... . . „

"These figures show that. tho' civil engineer has not been backward in performing the duty which ho owes to his country. The details of the Public Works_ staff have been quoted, as I am more intimately acquainted with its business than with any other, but judging from, report members of the profession outside the Department have also answered nobly to the call. Fortunately the reduction in the number of men employed on public works has lessened the work of the staffs of both general and local governments. Notwithstanding this, those officers who remain are performinng largely increased duties in most cases ; but there are many concerns in which the work has not lessened, and which, in consequence, are faceif with grave difficulties in maintaining their staffs."