ENGINEERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 August 1924, Page 5

ENGINEERS.

REGISTRATION BILL

SECOND READING

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 22, In the House to-night the Minister for Public Works -moved the second reading of the Engineers’ Registration Bill. In doing so he said the Bill was designed to enable civil and mechanical engineers to register. A board was set up to inquire into their qualifications, but there was no compulsion about registration. In this way it met the objection by many local bodies, who urged that their foreman or inspectors often had just as good practical - experience and knowledge as any civil engineer, laical bodies could employ whom they pleased, but no one who had not satisfied the Board as to his qualifications would be entitled to describe himself as a qualified engineer. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr T. M. Wilford) objected that the educational limits imposed by the Bill were too narrow to permit many desirable persons to come in under the Bill. He also asked that wider provision lie made for soldiers whose studies were interrupted by the war. He agreed with the general "principles of the Bill, which was to protect the public against incompetent men, but he thought there should be a proper definition of the term “engineer.” In committee he would move certain amendments.

' The Hon. C. J. Parr said the Bill was long overdue. In no country in the world had mare money been wasted through incompetent engineers than m New Zealand. We had only to siucy the history of our harbours to readse that the demands of the Bill were not severe. The door was so wide open that probably ninety per cent, of the men working for local*bodies would be able to register -under the measure. If the- Bill had a fault it was that it did not go far enough. It should make registration compulsory upon, all those who wished to practice engineering. The Leader of the Labour Party (Mr H. E. Holland) said he had no desire to put obstacles in the way of ensuring that those engaged in engineering should have the necessary qualification, but he did not wish to impose undue hardships on those now following this business.

After the Minister had replied, the Bill was read a second time.

ABUSE OF PRIVILEGE. PLAIN SPEAKING BY MR HAWKEN. (By Telegraph.—Special to Star.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 27. The abuse of the privilege of statutory recognition by certain organisations was mentioned by the member for Egmont, who, when discussing the Engineers Registration Bill, suggested that there seemed to be a tendency among bodies of professional men to protect their members whether they were competent or otherwise, and to cover up their mistakes. Although the Law Society had resolved against procuration fees being charged by lawyers, he knew that high-class firms still charged those fees. There had been examples, not only of those who , were not qualified engineers doing bad work, hut of blunders of an expensive character made by those who, though qualified by education and examinations, wore actually incompetent.