XN000022-1975-02-18 — Page 3

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1975

TOP BRITISH ENGINEER TO VISIT HONG KONG ******

SIR WILLIAM HARRIS, THE HEAD OF THE BRITISH PROFESSIONAL BODY REPRESENTING CIVIL ENGINEERS, WILL BE VISITING HONG KONG NEXT MONTH TO MEET COLLEAGUES IN ALL BRANCHES OF THE ENGINEERING PROFESSION AND TO SEE FOR HIMSELF SOME OF THE MAJOR ENGINEERING PROJECTS HERE.

SIR WILLIAM, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS (I.G.E.) THE WORLD'S OLDEST ENGINEERING INSTITUTION WILL ARRIVE ON MARCH 19.

DURING HIS FIVE-DAY VISIT HE WILL MEET AND ADDRESS MEMBERS OF THE ENGINEERING SOCIETY OF HONG KONG. HE WILL ALSO MEET THE GOVERNOR, AND AMONG THE SITES WHICH HE WILL VISIT ARE THOSE OF THE HIGH ISLÄND WATER SCHEME AND THE KWAI CHUNG CONTAINER TERMINAL,

MUCH OF SIR WILLIAM'S PROFESSIONAL CAREER HAS BEEN CLOSELY CONNE.TED WITH THE SEA. THE SON OF A MASTER MARINER, HE JOINED THE ADMIRALTY IN 1937 AND HIS WARTIME WORK INCLUDED THE PLANNING OF THE FLOATING DOCKYARDS WHICH ENSURED THE SUCCESS OF THE NORMANDY LANDINGS IN 1944.

HE BECAME DIRECTOR GENERAL OF NAVY WORKS IN 1960 AND IN 1963 TRANSFERRED TO THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND WORKS AS DIRECTOR GENERAL OF WORKS. HIS LAST GOVERNMENT POST WAS DIRECTOR GENERAL OF TRANSPORT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT. BECAME PRESIDENT OF THE 1.C.E. LAST NOVEMBER.

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HIS MAIN PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS IN HONG KONG WILL BE WITH MR. J.R. WHITAKER, DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF THE 1.C.E.'S HONG KONG ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND MR. G.B. OʻRORKE, ALSO OF P.W.D., WHO IS PRESIDENT OF THE ENGINEERING SOCIETY OF HONG KONG.

MR. WHITAKER SAID TODAY THAT IT WAS HIGHLY APPROPRIATE THAT SIR WILLIAM'S FIRST OVERSEAS TOUR AS PRESIDENT OF THE 1.C.E. SHOULD INCLUDE HONG KONG.

+ IN THE FIRST PLACE, HE POINTED OUT, WE HAVE MORE THAN 700 MEMBERS OF THE INSTITUTION HERE WHICH IS CERTAINLY THE HIGHEST MEMBERSHIP ANYWHERE OVERSEAS IN PROPORTION TO SIZE OF TERRITORY. SECONDLY, THERE IS NO LACK OF EXCITING THINGS FOR HIM TO SEE.+

SIR WILLIAM, 62, WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY HIS WIFE, AND BY THE SECRETARY OF THE INSTITUTION, MR. J.6. WATSON.

NOTE TO EDITORS.

COPIES OF SIR WILLIAM'S PHOTOGRAPH WILL BE BOXED FOR COLLECTION LATER TODAY.

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