president's address. — SECTION H. 209 



After entering into articles they should be properly taught, not 

 left to pick up what they can, as they can, or put to routine work 

 which will not give them proper experience. Cases have come 

 under my notice where pupils have completed their articles and 

 been sent away quite unfit to design or carry omt work. For in- 

 stance, one of these came to my oifice so^me time ago and was glad 

 to accept employment at the rate of pay of an ofiice boy because 

 he was not worth any more. He only wanted what another man 

 had been paid to teach him, and by his own exertioias, along 

 with a little encouragement and the oppcrtunity of self-improve- 

 ment, is now rising rapidly. 



But the most well-meaning of architects and engineers who take 

 articled pupils are usually busy men without any gift for teach- 

 ing, and unless their pupils are of the pushing sort, the training 

 they receive leaves much to be desired. 



Recent developments, particularly since the war, are leading 

 to the combination of university training along with articles, and, 

 frequently, especially on the engineering side, to university train- 

 ing being relied en wholly. After long experience with men 

 trained in different ways, I am convinced that the best hope of 

 the improvement of our professional work lies in the direction 

 of university training for those who are fit to receive it. 



It is at the universities that the best opportunity of bringing 

 science and scientific method intoi our every-day work is to be 

 found. To make the most of the opportunity much improvement 

 O'f present conditions is required. An extraordinary increase in 

 the number of university students has taken place since the great 

 war ceased, and now is the time to arrange for more efficient and 

 effective training. The work of our universities has improved 

 much of late years and the improvement is going on. Anything 

 that I now say is said in the hope that it will aid that improve- 

 ment. 



The coinsistent aim should be the turning out of men well 

 equipped to rise in their professions, and to improve in ability and 

 efficiency as long as they remain at work. I am afraid this is 

 sometimes lost sight of. 



It is necessary for our professions that, in addition to having 

 knowledge, we should be able tO' do things. 



The other day I had occasion to send a graduate in engineering 

 up country to do some simple work. He went, but when he get 

 there he did not know how tO' commence it or what to do' next. 

 I had to send another man much inferior to him in knowledge and 

 general education to show him how to' do the job. He learnt, 

 after a time, but why should not his training have taught him 

 how to do work of which he was or was just about to be certified 



