CIVIL ENGINEERS

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 47, 23 February 1917, Page 2

CIVIL ENGINEERS

THEIR IMPORTANCE IN WAR

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REFERENCES AT ANNUAL ' ' DINNER, „" :'■

Local \members . and visitors to the annual conference of the New .Zealand Society of Civil. Engineers assembled in 1 large numbers at Godber's. Cuba-street, last night, on the occasion of the annual dinner. Mr. R. W. Holmes (Engineer-' in-Chief) presided,: and among the guests were Major-General Sir A.. W. Robin, K.C.M.G., Mr. C.E. Daniell (chairman of the". Wellington Harbour Board), and Prof. Easterfield. Apologies for unavoidable absence were received from the Hon. W. Fraser, the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), Mr. R. Fletcher. M.P., Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., and P\of. R. J. Scott. . : Mr. S. Jickell proposed the toast: of "The Navy and Army," and. in doing so he paid-a tribute to the patriotic efforts of the women of New Zealand, "who do noit think much of a rhauijwho won't do his duty." (Hear, hear.)"';

In replying, General Robin, who was received with loud applause, said that all the' deeds of the past could not help them'to win the* war. It. was tha present that wouM tell, and. more men were wanted-^even'tnore quickly than they were coming.at present. The more thej' got hi from the First Division the greater chance would there be for the Second Division being left ito carry on the essential industries, of. the Dominion. The Field Engineers of the New Zealand Forces had given a, good account of themselves; the Tunnellers also had done good work, and had a i-ecord for the , amount of work done in proportion to their numbers. There was no. "go' slow" policy 1 about them. (Applause.) He paid a tribute to the civil engineers for the aid they had given in perfecting the arrangements at the Trentham and Featherston Camps, which had been described ;as the model camps of .the Empire. (Applause.) , ■The toast-"Local Authorities of New Zealand" was proposed by Mr. W. Ferguson, who said the,only way in which engineers could help'the country was to assist the National Efficiency Board. He did not know how to commence, and he looked to "them for help. He asked them to see what economics they could make in their staffs and works",. while at the same tijrie keeping everything going on. ' They had also to bear in mind . that when the men came.back work would have to be found for. them. Major-General Robin; had" told him that after ■ the., war it would take twelve or eighteen months before all the men came back, and it.was for them to consider the problem of Sliding them employment. As to the local authorities, he took it, that the officers made ■ the local authorities. They were very proud of the way in which, the City Council did its work—and in this respect he instanced the ".rule of the road" bylaw as far as it relates to street 'traffic, and' the j" strap-hanging "that may be' 'indulged in ■by passengers '.on tramways. (Laughter.) ; ' '/■The toast was responded to. by the chairman of the Harbour Board (Mi\ 0. E. Daniell), who askedi the question whether engineers were. making the best of the man-power of the Dominion. .% He questioned whether they were. Witli ,the forces available there were many ways in which labour could Be saved, especially.in: regard 1 to the loading and unloading' vof ships. He thought they oughit to look for an advancement in that respect. However, the Dominion had reason to be proud of the work done by the engineers in the devdop•ment'of New- Zealand, and- he believed that gTeater results were to be antici-, pated. (Applause.) '."'■"

Professor Easterfield proposed the toast of the "New ; Zealand Society-of Civil Engineers." Such a society," he said, could do a tremendous amount of good, _ and-, produce unity of effort in a direction' which was for the good of the public-as-a whole.- He contended that the,.engineer, and the chemist must work hand in. hand, and he iwent on to,, express the hope that the society would see that education did-riot get into ; the hands of cranks. ]3ut, unless practical people, like the engineer examined the problem of.education systematically and regularly,, that-was-what would happen, and the result would be.highly unsatisfactory to all concerned.

The Chairman^ in replying; said: the society had' laid down a roadway constructed on. modern principles, and there was uo reason why they- .should not travel along it a-s long as there were civil engineers in Now Zealand. Their endeavour was to educate all young' en-, gineers so that they might be qualified to carry out the work of- their profession, and to assist one another in the betterment of conditions and increase of remuneration where such a step was warranted. They hoped that by education the members-would bo made more valuable,•■thereby deserving higher pay,' and by annual meetings to become better acquainted with one another. He went on to speak'in terms of-high'praise of the work done by the New Zealand Tunnelling Corps, which is officered solely by New Zealand civil engineers,' and consisted in great part of the men whcf, during the Waihi strike,, were known as "Red Feds." ' In conclusion, he said the society was endeavouring to promote legislation to ensure that 'every" local body shall employ a prcpevly qualified engineer to supervise the expenditure of funds on the "construction of public woi-ks. Such an expenditure would-be in the interests of the community as .a. whole. ' . '■ "-."■■'■..■. ''".■:.'■.

Mr. W. !Ferguson;- on-behalf of the society, paid a. glowing tribute, to the ,work "done by the president (Mr. R. W. Holmes), who, he remarked, had made it almost impossible for anyone to succeed him. ' (Applause.) t ; .Other members spoke to the same effect, and Mr. Hoimes replied. in suitable terms. - -,

The proceedings concluded w^th the singing 'of "Auld Lang Syne" and "God Save the King."

During the evening songs were sung by Messrs. F. W. Widdop)-W. "H. Morton, E. S...Rounthwaite, and A. J. Paterson. , . . .