The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-31

maintenance expenditures during its
life, imposing higher taxes upon the
interests affected.
I'm enlisting the support of society
to the fullest extent the engineers
relation to it in all matters pertain
like that OF the lawyer in matters
political. Both are experts in their sew
eral fields and both are therefore bet
ter qualified to solve their respective
problems than any other members OF
society; the lawyer through his init
mate contact with the public has come
into his own, the engineer through
lack OF public contact remains an in
determinate or negligible quantity and
exerts a minimum effect in crystal
izing and co-ordinating public opir-
ion in matters within the domain oil
engineering. Society has been deprived
OF the full benefits of his special knowl-
edge and the engineer has fallen short
OF performing his complete functions 10
society
His Education
In view of the engineers value TO
society we are of course greatly in
terested in his education. Much is eX-
pected of him and therefore much more
Is required of his instructor; here we
find almost invariably in those cases of
the competent professors or instructors
noble and devoted lot of men earn
ing a mere pittance in comparison with
the compensation received by their in
tellectual equals or interiors in pro-
fessional life. This condition is basic
ally wrong and must have early atten-
ton and correction If the technical
schools of this country are to reach
their highest efficiency as a machine
Arf k.4,,
morally to their student bodies. The
present remedy is more attractive sal
aries and corps of trained men who
know how to teach and what TO
teach.
w nat shall the young engineering can
dldate study? This is a Question much
easier asked than answered With the
ever increasing store of knowledge it
Is manifestly impossible to cover the
ertlre Held, and We attempt to divide
the subject under the heads of civil
chemical. electrical. mechanical and min,
ing engineering. Usually a period of four
years is required to complete a given
course and usually. too, during this pc
Rod the students mind is directed along
strictly technical subjects, showing how
completely we have failed to equip the
engineer for his lifework 10 learn is
only the first step, TO live fully and
toH. pltlelN Is the second
Il would. therefore. make a plea for a
broader education than that now Of
Tered by the average engineering school,
standing neither for that system which
would make an engineer by clogging his
mind with a parrot-like accumulation
Of facts. forgetting Montaignes words.
to know by rote is not to know: or
that system in which the finished product
Is an artisan resulting from the over
development of shop instruction. Mem
DRY should not be cultivated to the erc-
ciusion of reasoning or at the neglect OF
principles. The proper sense of proper
ton, general per'/ ective, must be
maintained at all times.
Practice should accompany theory
only in so far as it affords an opportuni-
ty for vitalizing the subject of indicat-
ing the application of fundamental prin-
ciples. An engineer need not be an ex-
pert lathe hand In order to understand
the general uses and limitations of a
lathe. The place for acquiring further
detail knowledge and skill. II desired, is
after graduation. in the workshop oper-
ating under the severe conditions i'm
posed by commercial competition.
Immediately after graduation the stu
dent is no more an engineer than the
graduate of a law school is lawyer,
both enjoy unusual qualifications for be-
coming such. II he is to take his place
with cultivated men of affairs the goal
will be more quickly reached If in his
preliminary training some time has been
devoted to subjects of a cultural or
humanistic character