During the year that has elapsed' inge T last spoke to you the Trus-fees, in, September La, opened junter department as a preparatory School for students who desire qualify for admission to. the senior school and eventually to. become sludenis in the technical institute, Furthermore, the scope of the instltute has been considerably extended by the opening in January last of an extension containing a heat engines Jabouratory and on electrical @ineoring. laboratory, and it is but right that on this day we should assemble to pay tribute to the man who Drought. into being the opportunities that are offered here in the institute which bears his name.
"A Better World"
In the years that lie before us the engineer" and technician will undoubtedly be called upon in an ever Increasing degree to assist in planning. the future and in guiding the foot-lops of the human race as it moves forward towards what we trust will prove a better world, one in which the supreme achievements of the past. Atty years—the inventions and triumphs of science—will be employed {in satisfying all normal hur maintaining "peace, in Prosperity, and thus' saving civilization from the fate that befell Its predecessors.
'You' who are now before me stand fon the threshold of this new era and before you lie unbounded opport-ities. "No country in the world offers more scope for engineers than China. 'The pioneer "is the civil engineer; after him "come the: architect, the mechanical engineer, and the' electrical engineer. If you Possess. the pioneer spirit you will not be content to enjoy the amenities of city Ife here; great projects for development are' going forward more distant parts of the country and there you must seek your future. Mr, Lester was 2 celvil engineer and this the Kind of work he without any doubt had in mind in creating this In contemplating the work for technical education that has been well to remember that ina and Is being done through the bene-technical college such os this only the faction of the founder, and in visuallz~ loments of engineering can be taught ing the hundreds of students who will the time available, Students is through the doors of this col-nearing the end of their course tend Tam reminded of a passage to feel that there is little more to be from one of Christopher Morley's earned, probably because of the mass essays—"The opening and closing of of knowledge that they are constantly doors are the most significant dctions required to master, but there is never of man's life". The open door has an-end of learning. ever been the' symbol of the future ud an invitation to grasp the op-'Touchstone of Progress portunities that the future holds: it not too much '9 say that the open-task, because the Touchstone of pros Therefore bend your minds to your
ing and closing of a door is an epi tress and the meature of success has fame of the beginning' and end of ver been work. 'My message to those Students who Game fo usin 194 who. will"shortiy leave 'There are with us to-day students Follow' steadantiy the path you" have who in June next complete the course chosen, take your place is the Me study commenced in 1994; they Stusteli iife'of the nation, and as. will find that in business life the years pass' over you remember oe. portunities that occur are so many Easlonaly' wwe man in whose Honour open doors that, eventually lead to we are gathered here to-day. success, providing they are qualified to pass through and suiiciently cour-'There ts nothing 20 Necung as the ayeous to battle with the problems memory of benets received When that the ever widening horizon will Jou have achieved your sims in life resent to them. They will find, 100, sit trust you wil, do not forget that that human beings may be roughly a'door was opened to you it will then divided nto two <lassee—those who be your "turn to. open. a door. for tre always ready to open the door thet, and at that time it wil be welt to others, who are' naturally frank {o keep before you the example of the and who inspire confidence; and those founder, to whom, a @ mark of Te= who, by nature, tend to keep the spect T wilt now asia you to ise. door closed, Aller the wreath had been placed below Mr. Lester's picture, Me, Master Provided the Key falled upon Me. Glimeon' to address There can be no doubt that our the student body. founder was 2 man of acute observation who missed little of what was passing around him. Me evidently took nolo of the fact that certain doors were closed to both Chinese ud foreigners who were not pos sessed bf the necessary means. to Pursue their education abroad, and he must have determined to provide the key that would unlock those doors and throw them wide open, "Thus, after the door finally closed upon' a long life of arduous' toll we found' that we were contemplating not so much the door so recently losed but one newly opened. have no. doubl" began atr, Gimson, "that your training' is more bractiea! and more modern than mine tras but some of my experiences after
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college days ight be of interest 'The great change he had noticed since' those "Gave 25 "years ago had eon in his sense of berepective. The students probably thatght, ash did then, "thatthe. examination was the most important thing. snd_that ale" leaving. they. would have Farther use for examinations, The Ability to Learn In so disposing of his wealth Mr. Lester opened a door which thous-ids will enter. in the passing the years and enjoy the privileges which the founder provided. It Imorlality be to live in the thoughts nd_memories of those who follow, 'Mr, Lester has achieved that to which many. people aspire, for few can see this building and "contemplate the dids it will serve without reealling its founder with feelings spect and admiration. T would urge upon' those who have entered doors, and those who will enter A Jot of hard things were said about the examination. system, that it was unfair to the nervous and only tested a little superficial knowledge, bhut it had its advantages as well There were a number of specialls Dut hundreds of ordinary practising engineers, like himself, who, because knowledge in this sphere was s0 extensive to-day, had always to keep alive the ability of- learning new Knowledge, They" would "be © faced with the necessity of acquiring la a [short time knowledge of some small corer of engineering, possibly some
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.