Suggestions for Improving Position Outlined By Mr. N. Maas Before Local Society poenas the fact that today engineers occupied a lower status in public life than members of other professions and that en improvement in their status would be of benefit to the public, Mr. N. Maas S.Sc. (Eng), M. Inst. C.E., M.LN.A., lectured before members of the Engineering Society of China at the Park scientist and the engineer. Humanity had not yet adjusted itself to this change in its environment, and the engineer who contrived it had taken little heed of its effects. The time, however, had now come when not only had he waken up to the existence of maladjustment, but was aware of the necessity of using the qualities of ordered thinking and leadership, with which he is equipped, to attempt to right matters. Before this could be done, however, it was important that the engineer's status be raised.
Hotel yesterday evening on The Mr. H: during the lecture, which dealt with many aspects of the engineer's problem in present-day life and prove his st:
In introducing the subject attention was drawn to the fact that the question of the status of the engineer had formed the subject matter recently of numerous presidential addresses, and that the technical press referred to ti very frequently. Therefore, no apology was needed to bring this topic to the notice of the Engineering Society of Eh Although engineers felt that they were suffering under various grievances, yet the proper approach to the subject was from the point of view of the ultimate public benefit which would be derived from the improvement in the status of the engineer.
The engineer naturally contrasted himself with members of other professions, notably the law and medicine, with financiers and business men, only to find that he ranked lower in the public esteem than these. The scale of remuneration was considered lower than that of men engaged in other callings, and the responsibility for errors in professional judgment was also likely io detract from the engineer's status. The engineer was not sufficiently well represented on municipal and local government boards or on committees in public life generally.
Further the actual operation of the patent Laws and its anomalies were unfair towards the inventor, usually an engineer. The name "engineer" was unsatisfactory and embraced a heterogeneous collection of men. The three senior British Institution of Engineers had won for their corp. members the title of "Chartered Engineer," which title, however, conyed little to the public.
Low States Causes The causes for the present low status of the engineer, and for its possible deterioration in recent years, lay in the newness of the profession, in the failure of the engineer himself—immersed in his own work—to grasp the new conditions that he himself had called into being, thus allowing others to step in and control him, in the defective training and education of the engineer, this being too narrow, and in the inattention to the fostering of "character."
Other causes might be found in unethical conduct, in diminished opening for service abroad, in the matter of disregard to personal appearance, in having to start his working day at an earlier hour than other people and to work often at night, and in that the scene of his labour was mostly among dirty and depressing surroundings. Leisure time vacation and sport were apt to be less than that of others, particularly affecting the married Engineer and his Locus Standi." es Wilson, President of the Society, occupied the chair with various suggestions to imcerned the engineer should take a large personal interest in the ad-administration and government of the world around him, widen his general knowledge, be a good "mixer," taking pains to express himself in good language both spoken and written as well as to cultivate courtesy and eas: of manner.
Before the second group of suggestions for improvement was referred to the contention wes made that even the present practical training and technical education of engineers fit them to a high degree for work of administration and manegement, and that the life work of mest of them definitely inculcates the quality of leadership.
Registration Returning to the idees for remedying the status of engineers, the suggestion had been made of forming a General Council, a central body with real power and prestige to which the state could turn on engineering matters. Another cbvicus remedy wes the registration of qualified engineers. This was shown to have many good points, but also some doubtful ones. To investigate this and also to look into many of the other aspects involved in the considercticn of the engineer's locus standi an association had recently been found in Great Britain, being, however of too recent creation to be able to form any con-lecture as to its utility Another remedy wes sought in the institution of a Staff College, where ion would be given in commerce, management, organization, sociology and national and international affairs as well as in engineering subjects. How far this would go towards the advancement of the engineer's standing, generally was problematical. There wes, ever, no doubt that great improve ment could be made and was neede in the present training and education: of the engineer towards broadening the students' mind and interests, and in really teaching him to learn to think and reason.
Parallel with this lay the necessity of educating the general public to appreciate the engineer's worth and his value to the community. To this end many technical institutions had set up special committees, and it wa: blessing to note that the Engineering Society of China has recently formed a very live and active Public Relations Committee.
In conclusion, it was as well to realize that this question of the engineer's status wes only one aspect of the alteration in the conditions under which humanity existed today, compared with, say, 150 years ago. brought about entirely by the applied Gamekeepers have set poison traps for a fox which is roaming Kensington Palace Gardens and killing swans, geese, ducks and pigeons. The animal is believed to be a pet fox which escaped from the house five weeks ago, and has since become Joint Branch of Sizteen Leading Companies
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