B50 PROCEEDINGS OP SECTION H. 



to the heart of the city, via St. Paul's. The engineers planned 

 it on a purely utilitarian basis. The architects criticised this, and 

 claimed that the direction of the bridge was unsightly and crooked, 

 and that the opportunity thus afforded of bringing into full view 

 the architectural beauties of St. Saviour's at one terminal, and 

 of St. Paul's at the other, should on no account be lost. The 

 architects were imbued with the spirit initiated at the Town Plan- 

 ning Conference held by the Royal Institute of British Architects. 

 The engineers, however, turned a deaf ear, and adopted a 7ion 

 possumus, and a great opportunity is regretfully lost. 



A very serious state of affairs has arisen in connexion with 

 the cathedral building of St. Paul's. Some of its main supporting 

 walls on the southern side have subsided to the extent of from 

 4 to 6 inches, endangering important parts of the superstructure, 

 and apparently rendering extensive and expensive work of partial 

 reconstruction inevitable. To what extent adjacent underground 

 engineering works have aft'ected, or projected ones will affect the 

 stability of the structure, if at all, has not, I believe, been fully 

 determined ; but it is a case in which it is imperative that the 

 engineer and the architect should be absolutely in accord. 



The engineer of the Cataract and Burrenjuck dams was more 

 discerning, and the visitors in viewing these splendid engineering 

 works can detect the lighter touches of the ai'chitect in the crestings 

 and superstructures. 



As I emphasized at the outset, this is an age of specialization, 

 though the artistic and the practical, as represented by architec- 

 ture and engineering, may be successfully harmonized in the com- 

 pleted work, the functions of the professions must never be con- 

 fused. If there are opportunities for collaboration in design, there 

 are professional limits in the sphere of specialization. The archi- 

 tect must not misinterpret these, and invade the domain of the 

 engineer, nor the latter that of the architect, unless the prac- 

 titioner is duly qualified in both professions. 



A somewhat caustic article appeared recently in one of Sydney's 

 technical journals. It charged the architects (with few exceptions) 

 ov usurping the role of the electrical engineer in the matter of 

 the installation of electric lighting and power, chiefly in domestic 

 buildings. The article frankly contended that they were actuated 

 by their clients' interests in so doing, but they were accepting a 

 responsibility which placed them in a false position. It supplies 

 an instance where the rules relating to specialization must be 

 observed, and the functions of the professions not confounded. 



The Year's Record. 

 The year has been, I believe, in all the States a busy one, 

 and enduring works of a decidedly good character are accomplished 

 facts We certainly miss the wealthy British corporations that 



