COMPULSORY REGISTRATION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 36, 29 December 1944, Page 2

COMPULSORY REGISTRATION

ENGINEERS AMENDMENT BILL

Mil W. SULLIVAN'S VIEWS

""! am ;i little puzzled .-«s lo why this Hill was brought. down at presentremarked Mr \V. Sullivan

(National, Hay of Plenty). when discussing the Knginee.rs' liegislration Amendment Bill in the Houso ol' Representatives. '•!. can si-e the advisability of the registration of engineers gen era but today the ■whole of the engineering profession

is more or less upset and many of its members are. out of the country. For those i' do not think there is any real urgency for the measure and it -would have been wise to allow it to -wait for a year or two until all the men return." The Minister of Works (Mr Semple.): ''There has been a continuous agitation for this Bill from tlie engineers themselves and we have a big post-war programme. It is thought desirable to do now what we propose to do."

Mr Sullivan: "I can see the. advisability of the Bill and Tlie anxiety of the engineers to get it through, but a& there, are so many of them out of the couutry 1 cannot see anj' real urgency for it. The fact that there is a big programme, of work ahead is not going to supply additional engineers." Mr Semple: "They will drop into their places when they return."

Mr Sullivan: "Perhaps there is a j point thai has been missed, and the j Hill could well have been shelved for a year or two until the men arc back in their normal occupations. That would allow opportunity in the meantime, to point out the position to the engineers now serving overseas who might possibly come across some disadvantage in some clause." Mr Se.mplc: ''Every one of those men overseas is qualified to register as soon as he comes back." Mr Sullivan said after April. 1940. y all engineers' would be required to register and obtain an annual certificate in order to practice. Would registration apply to civil engineers only?"' Mr Semple: "It applies to the engineering profession; the. whole ol it." Mr Sullivan: "Structural enginecrs j motor engineers-—" Mr Semple: "Not motor engineers" Mr Sullivan said the title, of "engineer" was not defined in the legislation though it might be in the original Act.' The Prime Minister: "It is defined in the. main Act." Mr Sullivan said that the Minister did not make that clear enough when he introduced the Bill: neither did he state just what class of en-i gineers were, covered by the amendment. Clause 7 provided that engineers who had served for s.ix years during the last. 12 years with any local body might apply for registration within six months after the passing of the Bill. Mr Semple said that Clause 8 defined an engineer. Mr Sullivan read clause 8: 'Engineer' includes any person by whatever name he is called or whatever office he holds who is employed as an engineer in designing or constructing any engineering work or in supervising the construction or

maintenance of any engineering work for a local authority. It was a fairly wide he said. Air Semple.: "Engineering work lias been added to that clause."

Mr Sullivan: "The Minister it quite sati&fied that clause 8 covers tlie position fully and explicity?" Mr Scrapie: ".Definitely." Deaiing witli tlie. case where an engineer might have served for six years during the last YX years with a local body, Mr Sullivan asked what was tiie position w.uh the officer who j: ::g!it he siH : n that position \ - . 1.11 - lh>.' engineer was away on service. Someone equally qualified might be filling the post, and was (hat man going to be shut out of the profession altogether? Mr Semple: ".If he is qualified he will get in." Mr Sullivan: "There is no provision for him to get in unless he lias served .six years, over the last 12 years with a local body. The engineer may be absent at the moment —" • Mr Semple said that the amendment that had been outlined would cover that position. Mr Sullivan said lie believed that the. Minister wanted to'do the best lie. could and the Opposition would try to help him. They were anxious to help the engineers and the Minister to make provision for people who they thought otherwise, might lie shut out. There was tlie position of a man who might be equally competent as tiie man overseas. He may only have served three or four years with a local bojdy.. Was he going to be &hut out. under the liill? There was no provision for allowing) that man as far as he could see '? ' to become a registered or certificated engineer. The same argument could be applied to a man who might be thoroughly qualified, but wiio was serving and had been overseas for three or four years. It would be entirely at the 'discretion of the board as to whether that man should be admitted to the profession. In that particular case the gate should be left open so that if the man was qualifie,d ? he should irrespective of be admitted to the profession to which he belonged.

Mr Sullivan said he agreed that it was good to see that there was a desire to have engineers study and become qualified in order that they might render the best, service to the local body and the country. He was pleased to see that the Minister had agreed to wipe out the age limit oi' years. The provision re.quiring local bodies to employ a registered engineer to guide them in the expenditure of loan money or of capital if it was in excess of £11) 000 was a very nice one. Those who had served on local bodies would recognise the service that a qualified man could give to his district. Through the giving ol' sound advice, he might be able to save much rash expenditure. It was wise that in those circumstances local bodies should have the guidance and supervision of a thoroughly competent man working in co-operation maybe with their own local engineer.

"It seems to me that we can support the Bill, generally, if we have an undertaking from the Minister that he will make full provision for the servicemen serving overseas, although they have not given six years' service to one or move local bodies during the last 12 years.' said Mr Sullivan. "It is ne.cesary to make some clear provision in the Bill to provide lor such cases.