ANNUAL ADDRESS. XXI. 



have stated that is new to you ; but the mere statement 

 of the facts may bring new aspects of the question to your 

 minds as it certainly has to mine. For instance, till now 

 I never remarked the resemblance between the people of 

 New South Wales and those of India in their attitude of 

 passive and patient waiting for the action of the master 

 hand of a paternal Government. 



Another point which had some effect in prompting me to 

 take this subject was that for the engineer and particularly 

 for the young engineer, the world is his field ; so that the 

 practice followed in the initiation of engineering works in 

 different countries is a matter of much interest. I may 

 here remark that as regards our young engineers, it seems 

 strange that in such a young and undeveloped country as 

 Australia, the prospects of an engineering career should 

 seem to some of them less promising here than in England 

 and elsewhere. It seems also strange that the great 

 majority of the engineering students in the Sydney Uni- 

 versity should devote themselves to mining engineering, a 

 branch in which they will be free from Government inter- 

 ference and Government competition. 



As I have already stated, it was quite impossible for me 

 to do more than give a few fragmentary outlines of this 

 most important subject. It seemed to me, however, that 

 in such an address as this, though I could not convey much 

 information that is new, I might draw attention to the 

 question in a way that would assist in giving rise to a 

 spirit of inquiry and investigation regarding it. If I have 

 succeeded even in a moderate degree in doing this I shall 

 be perfectly satisfied. 



