CIVIL ENGINEERS.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17242, 29 October 1927, Page 8

CIVIL ENGINEERS.

CONFERENCE AT HAMILTON. PROBLEMS OF PUBLIC WORKS. The Auckland branch of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers is holding its annual conference at Hamilton during the present week end. This morning members were accorded an official welcome by His Worship the. Mayor, Mr. J. R. Fow, at the Council Chambers.

His Worship saic} Hamilton esteemed it an honour that'the town had been chosen for the holding of the conference. It was pleasing to note that the Hamilton representative of the society, Mr. S. B. Sims, had been associated with public work of the town over a long period of years. The growth of Hamilton had been phenomenal and the work entailed in keeping pace with this growth had given the various borough engineers an active time. The present borough engineer, .Mr. R. Worley, was a young man of ideas, and the council looked forward to substantial municipal development as the various schemes at present before Ihe town were carried into effect.' The town had many natural advantages and the council, before the town planning scheme came info vogue, had endeavoured to improve the appearance of the town and the work of the Beautifying Society in this respect would be of special interest to tiic visitors. The council had also gone in for corner easements and in this respect had been met very generously by the property owners. In Ciaudeiands, particularly, street improvements had been undertaken where efforts at town beautifying were perhaps more visible than anywhere else, in the well kept grass margins between the footpaths and the road. The town had also been very fortunate quite recently in receiving a gift from tlic A. and. P. Association of a block of native bush for the purposes of a park. ’The biggest and best scheme before the town was, however, the proposal to form a municipal square at Garden Place. The scheme, of which Mr. Worley was the author, was financially sound and would be a payable one to the borough. They were hopeful that the ratepayers would sanction ■a loan for the work, which, besides being a revenue producing proposition, would relieve the tremendous congestion of traffic at the main street and in many ways would transform an old part of Hamilton. Hamilton had in a very brief period carried out many important schemes.

Future for Waikato. Very often when large public works were undertaken as had - been done here, they were attributed to a wild optimism on the part of the leaders. Looking at the central position of the town, however, one could sec nothing hut good prospects for it. It was a town which, from its very central position, had received a fair share of growth, and would continue lo progress as the surrounding country crime to/carry its full population. His Worship considered'there was a future for the whole of the Waikato and he believed that as long as there was prosperity in the country districts there was a big future for Hamilton. He was sure this prosperity would come.

The speaker said ho felt that such conferences as that were a source of benefit not only io those taking part in the deliberations but lo the community generally for as the result of the deliberations engineering ideas were co-ordinated and improved upon, lie had great pleasure in welcoming llie members to Hamilton, and trusted that their slay would be a pleasant and profitable one. In reply, Mr. L. B. Campbell, District Engineer to the Public Works Department and chairman of the No. 2 Highways Board, said the Auckland branch had a membership of 100 engineers. The objects of the institute were educative. Members met periodically and heard papers by various engineers. They considered the conferences were beneficial not only to them,selves but to the various local bodies. They saw the difficulties to be. encountered in the various places where they met any by conferring, were able to discuss means of overcoming those difiicuties. 'The speaker ventured to predict that Hamilton would become the premier inland town of the Dominion. As far as situation was concerned, lie thought the town was extremely lucky. It had wonderful natural advantages and it said much for the foresight of the leaders of the people that the river and its environments had been so well cared for. On behalf of the branch lie thanked the Mayor heartily for his welcome and said he felt that the conference would in every way prove successful and profitable. An interesting paper on “Hamilton and its municipal work” was read before members by Mr. Rupert Worley, borough engineer. Members were this morning motored over the various works in the borough. This afternoon Will be devoted to smht-seeing, and this evening a paper will be read by Air McClcnnan, dealing with electrical reticulation. Tomorrow the members of the conference will visit the Horn Hora electrical works. , , ...