After touching upon the history of civil engineering, Mx. Hookham, said that the keynote' of engineers' efforts: has always been the use and convenience of man. He emphasized the dramatic developments of engineering. through alliance with pure. science, which made the schoolboy of today more potent wizard than the alchemist of old.
"Such a dramatic development could hardly take place without {undamentally affecting the fabric of our whole life, and the trouble ts that the gineer engrossed In the interest of task, has not given sufficient thought to what may happen when the jrmous mental forces that have ved him so well, are developed long wrong channels in others," he continued.
"The responsibility of the engineer end scientist for the barbaric slaughter of the present day has been much ventilated recently and even came up for discussion by the British Association: and it is probably true that ct referred to renders the engin"
share of the responsibility large "Has the engineer any justifiable excuse to offer? T would say Yes.
"The growth of his profession has! been so rapid, and along lines that developed so rapidly in new directions: that a variety of independent bodies have been formed to represent him. Although imbued with common ideals, these bodies have failed to put common front to the public, wher the older professions of Medicine and Law have each a powerful organization which well defines their status.
"Hence they are recognized olements in the structure of society, although g: certainly no more important to pro-sent day society than the engineer.
Constructive or Destructive 1m propoting the toast of the guests Mr," George Pickering: made compli mentary. fetcrences 10 "the onerous duties carried out by each, and. ex-Dressed' the pleasure' of the {wo 30. lattes at having them at their tune: tion." He emphasized the stinetion betiveen constructive and. destructive Elke t0 think of the main work of the engineer as being constructive. Unfortinately, elvilzation lis. led toa pose whee much of our activity ie destructive. "It fs. inconceivable that the genius who realized. one man's oldest and fondest dreams, amely, the conquest of the aly, could fever have imagined that he wes. preparing the Way to terrorize his fellow nen. It is regrettable. indeed that oe uch genius, time, and. wealth are being devoted today to the design and Production of Instruments of destruc: lon, and again' In offorls to counter the" destructive powers of these Instruments.
"Throughout, the world today, en-sneering. Works and. machinery "of Incredible power and numbers' are being produced and operated gonstruive engineers, and 1 ike their Work, as has. been 20 aptly me of these engineers. going. about
Aeserived by Kipling:
"had" their ret Tong In the land. their days, us. days may be and regarding it as but simple service simply" given to his own kind in their common need'.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.