ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. xl. 
briefly referred to. The proposed expenditure on water 
conservation works in New South Wales was discussed in 
considerable detail. Harbour works in New South Wales 
were referred to, and the main principle adopted, namely, 
concentrated tidal scour, for maintaining and permanently 
improving river entrances; a list was given of the works 
accomplished during the last ten years. 
Sewerage Systems.—The advantages and disadvantages 
of the so-called combined and separate systems were sum- 
marized, and the use of the septic-tank as an adjunct to 
some of the various methods adopted in sewage disposal. 
New South Wales Government Railways.—The most 
important works carried out in connection with the Per- 
manent Way Department of the Railways may be summar- 
ized aS comprising improvements of grades and curves, 
duplicating existing lines, strengthening of existing lines 
and bridges, providing new buildings, and water supplies. 
These were dealt with in detail, and also the improvements 
made in the design of locomotives to meet the special needs 
of the traffic on the N.S. Wales railways. 
The author has endeavoured to indicate in this address 
some of the achievements of the engineer during the last 
twenty years. The wonderful progress during that time, 
and the great activity to-day in all branches of science and 
engineering suggests gigantic possibilities in the future. 
All future progress in engineering must depend upon exact 
knowledge and scientific thought and work. Our systems 
of primary, secondary, technical and professional education 
must be carefully reconsidered in order to bring them up to 
the needs and requirements of modern civilization. The 
engineer of the future must be a still more widely trained 
and better educated man than his predecessor of to-day, 
so that he may be better able to solve the many problems 
which lie before bim in the future. The President then 
