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ENGINEERING AND

the result of his University studies. Yet the character of the work would usually be regarded as essentially the province of the purely practical man.

The value of trained engineers to the State was recognized by the late Hon. J. H. Angas, who founded the scholarship that bears his name for the express purpose of enabling young civil engineers to obtain training and experience abroad, in order that they may be better equipped to assist in the development of the State. The scholarship has been awarded biennially since 1888, the successful candidate receiving £200 a year for two years to enable him to benefit by experience in England or America, but unfortunately, of all the past recipients, only three are now in South Australia. It certainly is much to be regretted that we do not induce a greater proportion of the Angas scholars, who represent the pick of our engineering graduates, to come back to South Australia, and so carry out the intentions of the founder of the scholarship. So much of the civil engineering work of the State is under the control of the Government that this can only be secured by their help and co-operation, but surely no better recruits could be got for the service. Last year the total expenditure of the State was £6,450,000, more than one-third of which was spent on railways, harbours, roads, irrigation, and other engineering undertakings. This is a very large sum, and unless we have thoroughly efficient engineering departments hundreds of thousands of pounds may, easily be wasted and few know anything of it. The proper way to secure this efficiency is to start with the young men entering the service. Either they must enter properly qualified, or they must become qualified before they can get beyond a certain stage. But it is an anomaly in several of the States that whilst Parliaments have for many years given considerable grants in aid of various forms of technical education, and by speech and deed such training is