The engineer and parti larly the electrical engineer was hailed as thei, solver of the world's economic prob-Jems Ly several speakers at the annual dinner of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, China Centre, on Thursday evening. Dr. Chattey winding up, for example contended that engineers might make better politicians than some now carrying the strain of running banks or handling Government responsibilities. Engineers contained a bigger _proportion of altruism than some other profess They looked to perform service rather than secure dividends and dividend hunting was Partly the cause of the present economic plight.
Mr. A. J. Percival, who presided, gave a most illuminating survey of engineering prospects in China. but before he came to that part of his gracefully performed duties he
of the gathering of professional saluted Mr, Frank Gill as a pioneer societies in Shanghai, an able ce verter of telephones, @ man who had Jaid down the system on which the international telephones of " the world were now developing, a maker of many friends in Shanghai and a sympathetic adviser of the Lester Trustees on technical education and—finally—one who wax about to return to his own land to take up ai ther important job.
Developing Technical Edueatio to his acknowledgment of the toast Mr. Gill was happily able to add
2 few parting words on the work St the Institution on the' Goune!t of Which he sat aya" Past President Tes Royal Charter kept the Tnstitu: tion's qualifications "up to standard and its' standard. demand al experience. ay well as arcade Which, like' China, had Fesratration system, could safely Connise. Membership of the. Institue fiom as equivalent" to. the require Gill not. now be the Board of Education la develop:
the Institutio
ing technical education ant he! commeniled to the company's ats tention the value of the combination training, "experience and see tine knowledge for the prop service could be rendered.
Mr, Pereival's rapid survey cove the. National Reconstruction Gommission's training of regula: tions for the control amid develop: ment of electrical cnyinecring amd pointed out that the ten per ent, Variation between the aettal "aid declared voltage was too high when the four per cent. in British prac: flee was Considered, especially" as, many Chinese cities, the yana: tion was often, nearer Sent. "He "praised the lon for "ite attention Standardisation of frequent hoped. that. the eventual adoption of "uniform standards" would. secured. "He deprecated facile exaggeration of the possibilities. of eetfical development in China. Hyuro-electrical development for example was still far to seek awin the absence of suitable condi: tions, Beonomie. stagnation stood in the way of vapid. progress. Uncertainty kept, money In. when it might be fruitfully employ: fed'in developing industries, Si Of progress were, however, visible was shown by, the proposals for the linking up of Chapely-Nantao and Potting with the ' Shanghai Power Company's system.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.