568 PEOCEEDINGS OF SECTION H. 



gained by taking up an unbending attitude, oblivious of the right 

 of public or other bodies and trusts, which, after all, carry the 

 greater responsibility of spending their funds, on such schemes 

 as meet their views, rather than upon the solely academic opinion 

 as expressed by a professional man. 



Registration. 

 I think we may claim that a considerable advance has been made 

 during the past year in educating the public mind to the desira- 

 bility of fixing some definite standard of qualifications required in 

 engineers and architects to permit of their practising in Australia. 

 Surveyors, so far as their dealing with real estate and its legal 

 ownership and transfer are concerned, have been for many years 

 required to hold a Government licence, which can only be obtained 

 by those showing their qualifications are up to the required 

 standard. They can then enjoy the emolument of a practically 

 close profession. With the sister professions, this advantage is not 

 yet, unfortunately, the case, and neither the reputable members 

 are protected against chariatanism, nor the public against unskilful 

 and inexperienced exploiters. 



It is quite true that, as regards engineering, both civil and 

 mechanical, no man can make a practice or a reputation, except- 

 ing when his abilities are obvious to the keen instincts of the men 

 and corporations who employ engineers, and after a long servitude 

 on the works of other engineers; but with the architectural pro- 

 fession it is somewhat different. The mathematical precision essen- 

 tial to the engineer is only required in the architect to a limited 

 extent; the training of the latter in the true principles of art, 

 which cannot be measured by the foot-rule, is all important, and the 

 artistic sense has to be developed, as well as the purely business one, 

 while an architect can commence practice immediately his cadetship 

 is passed. It must be remembered that every building of note 

 erected, and presumably brought under daily observation and 

 criticism, is a monument to good or bad taste, and an instrument 

 either in raising or debasing the public standard in such matters. 

 To the educated man it may be an offeace, to the uncultured, a 

 snare. The control of the architectural treatment of buildings 

 upon which large sums of money may be expended is becoming 

 more and more desirable. Whether or not the liberty of commit- 

 ting all sorts of atrocities in design may be curbed in municipal 

 areas by power to reject, or, in addition, whether reform shall come 

 by weeding out incompetent, and registering competent, architects, 

 is a legitimate matter of discussion and action. 



The matter of the expenditure by the architect of large sums 

 of money on behalf of his client, and of the satisfactory, or un- 

 satisfactory, results likely to accrue according to the selection of 



