president's address — SECTION H. 213 



Erilliaiil scientists and mathematicians are an ornament to a 

 university, and there are }3laces for them to fill, but brilliant 

 scholars are not necessarily brilliant teachers, and we want men 

 who by nature or training, or both, are competent to turn out 

 pupils who, in addition to passing examinations, have been so 

 instructed that they thoroughly understand wliat they have passed 

 in and appreciate and understand its uses, and will use and go on 

 using it. 



I have looked in vain for these conditions in so many, university 

 graduates that I am driven to the conclusion that much improve- 

 ment in teaching ability is a great need, and is necessary to 

 avoid much wastage that is going en. at present. Let us be 

 scientific' in our educational work and stop this wastage. 



Initiafioii of Workn. — And now as to cur work. Are we fully 

 using toi the best advantage the discoveries of science, and are 

 we applying scientific methods to our work to the full extent that 

 they will improve it 1 



In the initiation of work, hew often do we see guess work and 

 sententious o]nnion where exact methods applied scientifically 

 would work out to clear and definite re-ults. How often does as- 

 surance without investigation and reason without insight take the 

 place of thorough scientific investigation ? There is no part of 

 our work more impci-tant than the initiation of new schemes, the 

 introduction of new processes, and the adoption of new materials. 

 The road to- success with all these is the scientific one. 



Dts'ujn. — Th6' work of designing is, or should be, essentially 

 scientific, but at present there is too much c'opying and too little 

 originality. Too much that is empirical and too little application 

 of first principles. To€' much running in a grocve. Too little 

 adaptation to emergent conditions. 



Execution of Work. — There is increasing call and opportunity 

 for the introduction of science in the carrying out of our works. 

 The old rough and tumble hard headed rule of thumb, out to make 

 money, contractor is being displaced by the practice of carrying 

 out work by labour directly employed by the principal. This 

 brings additional responsibility on the engineer and the architect, 

 and also larger opportunity of usefidness. It makes a larger call 

 on his ability, energy, and personality, but enables him 

 to get better work done, and to obtain better results in proportion 

 to' the e'X]>enditure. In no' part of his work is there better opening 

 for the application of science. 



No dovibt there are good and able contractors, but there are — ■ 

 others. 



When a contract is made for large works, it contains conditions 

 which bind both parties and cannot be varied, except by mutual 

 consent, without risk of heavy ciaims. When an engineer or archi- 

 tect carries out his own work, he is free to take advantage of all 



