II. H. G. McKINNEY. 



words of the Charter of the Institution of Civil Engineers) 

 " the art of directing the great sources of power in nature 

 for the use and convenience of man, as the means of pro- 

 duction and of traffic in states both for external and internal 

 trade," must vary widely in different countries inhabited 

 by people differing in their traditions and in their stages of 

 advancement in civilization. The two extremes in the 

 attitude of the people in regard to the development of a 

 country by the construction of engineering works are fairly 

 illustrated by the cases of India and the United States. In 

 the former country the people have no idea of any other 

 course than to await the action of a paternal and benevo- 

 lent Government to supply them with roads, railways, and 

 irrigation works; while the people of the United States are 

 decidedly opposed to what they aptly term "paternalism," 

 and simply want the Government to leave them alone and 

 give them a free hand. It is a great mistake to suppose 

 that a system which is best for one country, either is or 

 will be the best for another ; but this fact is often over- 

 looked, as for instance by those well-meaning people in 

 England who are continually aiming at foisting on India 

 institutions and procedure with which they are familiar, 

 but which the people of India neither want nor appreciate. 



In the United Kingdom it may be broadly stated that all 

 public works of importance, except those for the water 

 supply and sewerage of towns, are initiated, constructed, 

 and managed by private enterprise. The facilities for the 

 initiation of extensive works have been greatly added to 

 by the Ordnance Survey which was carried out by the 

 Government, as the information supplied in the Ordnance 

 maps is in such detail that preliminary surveys for railways 

 and other large works are unnecessary. This is one of the 

 many ways in which the value of a minutely accurate 

 national survey becomes apparent to the most ordinary 



