XN000022-1976-03-19 — Page 3

FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 1976

H.K. WILL PROSPER BY WORK OF ENGINEERS

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, TONIGHT SAID THAT BY THE WORK OF ENGINEERS, HONG KONG +IS GROWING AND WILL PROSPER.+

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURAL DINNER OF THE HONG KONG INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS AT THE PENINSULA HOTEL.

SIR MURRAY SAID IN HONG KONG THERE WAS +A CONJUNCTURE OF TERRAIN, PROFITABILITY AND SHEER THRUST OF DYNAMIC DEVELOPMENT AND EVEN WITHIN SUCH A COMPARATIVELY SMALL AREA, THIS OFFERS A COMBINATION OF CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY TO THE ENGINEER WHICH MUST BE UNIQUE.+

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH:

+MR. PRESIDENT, GENTLEMEN, MAY I SAY HOW HONOURED I WAS TO BE INVITED TO THIS INAUGURAL DINNER OF THE HONG KONG INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS. I CONGRATULATE YOU ON GAINING STATUTORY RECOGNITION, AND ON THE SPEED AND RESOLUTION WITH WHICH THIS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED.

+I UNDERSTAND YOUR NEXT OBJECTIVE IS FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE INSTITUTION TO BE RECOGNISED AS A QUALIFICATION TO PRACTISE. I HEARTILY WISH YOU SUCCESS SINCE IT COULD SAVE GRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITIES AND THE POLYTECHNIC FROM HAVING FIRST TO SEEK MEMBERSHIP OF OVERSEAS INSTITUTIONS.

+I WAS DELIGHTED TO HEAR THAT YOUR STUDENTS SECTION GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH. THIS AUGURS WELL, NOT ONLY FOR THE INSTITUTION BUT ALSO FOR HONG KONG, WHICH WILL RELY SO HEAVILY ON THESE YOUNG MEN IN THE COMING YEARS.

+1 DO AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF ENGINEERS IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS. THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH PROJECT MANAGEMENT, CONTRACT LAW, ACCOUNTING, LABOUR RELATIONS, ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES AND SO ON FITS THEM VERY WELL FOR INVOLVEMENT IN WHAT YOU DESCRIBE AS THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS OF GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY.

+YOU HAVE HIGH AUTHORITY FOR YOUR VIEW. SOME YEARS AGO AT A CONFERENCE ARRANGED BY THE ROYAL SOCIETY AND THE JOINT ENGINEERING COUNCIL, PRINCE PHILIP SAID:

'I BELIEVE THAT IT IS GOING TO BE PROGRESSIVELY MORE DIFFICULT FOR INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT OR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION TO BE CONDUCTED BY PEOPLE WITHOUT TECHNOLOGICAL TRAINING. IN THIS EVENT THESE RESPONSIBILITIES WILL FALL UPON TECHNOLOGISTS AND UNLESS THEY HAVE LEARNT TO APPRECIATE THE EXTENT AND SCOPE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN EXISTENCE, THEIR DECISION CANNOT HELP THE PROGRESS OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION'.

/+SHORTLY