COLONIAL ENGINEERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6282, 13 September 1898, Page 1

COLONIAL ENGINEERS.

MR MORRISON'S "SPEECH. 1 FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE. .From Our Correspondent.! WELLINGTON, Sept. 12. The correspondence on tbe subject of the training of colonial engineers shows no signs of concluding. Mr Samuel Brown, President of the Industrial Corporation, in reply to Mr Morrison's last letter, says that gentleman is endeavouring to cover his retreat by bringing in side issues and refers him to his statement that "There were not twenty engineers turned out in New Zealand who could go into an English shop and do their little bit along with the next man." After reminding Mr Morrison that he had not denied the correctness of his reported statement, Mr Brown says— "You send me quotations from 'Hansard,'. but this will not dc for me, because in the first place I would not have taken the trouble to challenge your statement in'Hnnsard,' for nobody reads 'Hansard,' and in the second place I could not accept it in this case, as members are allowed to correct their speeches, and, I believe, often add to them. The fact remains that a statement which is a slander on New Zealand engineer boys has gone forth under your name, which you did not deny. You, in justice to yourself and everyone concerned, must take the only course open to you, to write to the editors of the ' Evening Post' and 'New Zealand Times,' telling them that the reporters libelled you by putting words into your mouth which you never uttered." In- concluding, Mr Brown says • " I will tell you the story of a real boy who weni; Home (not an imaginary one). This lad obtained work with a firm of engineers and electricians. After some months he so far advanced himsplf that his employers agreed to teach him to be an electrician without asking for the usual premium of £'S OO for two years six months. Afterwards he was sent by his firm to one of the royal dockyards, several hundred miles from the works, to erect and set going an important electrical machine. After doing that he wa3 sent by his firm to another royal dockyard to fix siniilar electrical machinery, with improvements which he himself had suggested. At the latter place he received instructions to do business for the firm with any of their customers whom he was instructed to see, and also to report to them on other machinery that they (the firm) had at work. Then, after finishing, he was instructed by telegraph to go to Wales, there to undertake some of the work for his firm, where he now is. This boy, who is not yet twenty years of age. learnt' his trade of engineering in one of the Wellington shops, out of which, according to you, no good can come."