THE HONG KONG AND FAR EAST BUILDER
ENGINEERING SOCIETY OF HONGKONG
OFFICERS AND COUNCIL FOR 1948-49 SESSION
President.
Past President Vice President Vice President Hon. Treasurer Hon. Secretary
MR. S. E. FABER MR. J. FINNIE
MR. W. L. E. MILLER MR. A. W. BLACK MR. R. V. LEDERHOFER MR. W. A. ANKERSON
Council Members
MESSRS. J. C. BROWN. F. C. CLEMO, R. G. CRAIG, F. J. CROSBIE, R. P. DUNLOP, V. KENNIFE. W. G. LONG.
A. S. MACKICHAN. P. V. REVELY, M. R. SNELL, J. C. L. WONG, and WARNER S. Yen.
At the first annual dinner of the Engineers Society of Hong Kong held at the Hong Kong Hotel on 14th May. 1948, the Hon. N. O. C. Marsh said in the course of pro- posing the toast to the Society:
"The development of Hongkong from the time of its acquisition as a barren rock until the present day is a remarkable record of achievement and a fitting illustration of how well the community has been served by the various engineering sciences,
"The steady advances which are being accomplished in the numerous branches of engineering are having an increasingly beneficial effect on the welfare of mankind. and the formation of Societies to encourage the dissemina- tion of scientific knowledge is most commendable.
"It is gratifying to know that we have such an Institu- tion in this Colony and great credit is due to those who have given much of their time to achieve that end.
"I understand that since the inaugural meeting in November last year, at which it was decided to constitute the Engineering Society, the number of applications for membership has clearly indicated the desire of local engineers to meet together with a view to pooling their specialised knowledge in the best interests of progress in the Colony."
Replying to the toast, Mr. S. E. Faber, President of the Society for 1948-49, said that the Society had now completed its first session. It came into being largely as a result of the efforts of their first President, Mr. Finnie. during the internment. The active part in the formation was taken chiefly by Engineers who had been fired with the President's example, and to whose energy and hard work they are indebted for the very virile and growing Society. The Society was established for the general advance- ment of the science and practice of Engineering in the Colony and its objects include the promotion of co-operation between Engineers of all kinds, and the formation of a meeting place where problems can be discussed, and inter- change of ideas can take place.
There was another object of the Society, implicit in its main aim, and that was to encourage and help on, by example and education, young engineers who were begin- ning their careers, and they hoped that when the University got into its full stride they might be privileged to do some- thing for the Engineering students.
Lectures and talks by practising Engineers of wide experience could to great advantage supplement the more theoretical education provided by the University.
He then went on to refer to the engineering achieve- ments in the Colony and said one could instance the rond
27
system with its earth works. bridges and culverts, and its surface which had survived the period of Japanese occupa- tion with surprisingly little damage, or the water supply system with extensive catchwaters, dams, reservoirs, pump- ing stations, treatment works and mains, which he feared the general public were inclined to take far too much for granted, without appreciating that pure water was by far the cheapest commodity one could have delivered to one's house and at present unfortunately, one of the scarcest). Then there was the whole system of communications. telephone, telegraph and wireless, without which many modern people would feel lost.
Engineers, however, partly by temperament and partly by reason of the very logic of their training had in the past taken too little part in public life, and it was hoped that future legislators would call more and more
on their assistance not only because of their special qualifications in the technical matters which were so much the warp of their modern existence, but because of the real contribution they could make in clear thinking.
"We all welcome to our ranks also, as Associates all who, though not Engineers, are connected with or interested in Engineering matters." said Mr. Fabei. "Our Society is in fact an attempt to infuse a little cultural influence into what has been termed "the hard commercialism" of the Hong Kong atmosphere. There is need for some such mental relaxation from the daily routine, and a real stimulus in stirring up the grey matter before it has completely set in one particular pattern.
"We are particularly fortunate in having such a wide range of Engineers among our members. Since the forma- tion of the Institution of Civil Engineers in London over a hundred years ago (the first non-military association of Engineers there have been many branches formed as the knowledge of a science spread, and there has been a tendency for such branches to be independent of each other, perhaps almost competitive. This Society is an attempt to fuse together all such types in the belief that a strong alloy may thus come into being.
"Our first session, which is now over, has included besides the Inaugural Presidential address, three papers on Air Conditioning, Radio Navigation, and Television, two symposiums of talks on Recent Developments in Marine, Mechanical, Electrical, Metallurgical and Aeronautical Engineering, as well as three visits to works of Engineering interest, all of which have been well attended. This will indicate the width and scope of our interests, and for a first short session is promise of a fuller programme in the future."
LIST OF NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF ELECTED
MR. JAMES ADAM MR. G. W. AMANN MR. W. A. ANKERSON
MR. M. B. ANTONOFF
MR. W. F. ASSESSOROW MR. SIK-Ling Au MR. K. B. Baker
MR. HAROLD N. BARNES MR. JAMES F. BARRON MR. R. B. BELL MR. HUGH BECK
MR. P.B.J.L. BEERTSEN MR. F. G. BIRD
MR. A. W. BLACK
MR. A. BOLTON
MR. V. BONCH
MR. D. B. MCK, BONE
Mr. G. BOULTON MR. HUGH BRAGA
Kowloon Docks,
Harry Wicking & Co., Ltd. ...co Metropolitan-Vickers Elec-
trical Export Co. Ltd. ...Metropolitan Construction Co..
Ltd.
. François d'Hardivilliers.
212 Jaffe Road.
.E. & M. Office P.W.D.
Holt's Wharf.
...co Hongkong Electric Co. Ltd. ....e o Taikoo Dockyard.
Jardine Matheson & Co., Ltd. .Room 403, Lyton House,
408 Des Voeux Road West. ..co Messrs. Carmichael & Clarke China Light & Power Co. Ltd. .co Hongkong Electric Co. Ltd. ...c o Taikoo Dockyard.
.Kowloon Docks,
Metropolitan Construction Co., Ltel.
MEMBERS AS AT
MR. A. W. DE BROEKERT MR. J. C. Brown MR. JOHN BRUCE MR. SEC-AI Lew Buck MR. J. F. BURFORD MR. F. BURRELL MR. S. J. G. Burt MR. R. S. CAPELL MR. KIN MAN CHAN MR. H. D. CHANG MR. V. S. CHAPLIN MR. H. CHARRINGTON MR. H. F. G. CHAUVIN MR. KIT LAM CHEUNG MR. C. F. CHIU MR. HO MAN CHOW MR. SZE-YUEN CHUNG MR. F. C. CLEMO MR. W. G. R. COATES MR. D. COHEN
1st DECEMBER 1948. co Taikoo Dockyard.
- Electrical Office, P.W.D. .China Light & Power Co. Ltd. -76, Village Road.
Waterworks Office. P.W.D. .co Taikoo Dockyard. .Technical College. Wood Road,
British General Electric Co. Ltd. 278 Matauwei Road.
co Messrs. Palmer & Turner. Jardine Engineering Corp. Ltd. .15, Broadwood Road.
82 Kennedy Road, Hong Kong. 10 Prince's Terrace.
.282 Matauwei Road, Kowloon.
Port Works Office, P.W.D. ...co The World Light Factory,
China Light & Power Co., Ltd. Harbour Department.
Hongkong Engineering & Con-
struction Co. Ltd.