The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-08-05
PLAN TO ORGANIZE
225,OOO ENGINEERS
Proposal Made to Federate
$50 Societies Already in
Existence Here.
WAR SHOWED THE NEED
Leader Of Movement Hopes to
Have President and Cabinet
at Annual Conferences.

Invitations will be mailed Tomorrow
10 the $50 leading engineering and tech
nlcal societies In the United States, with
total membership OF approximately
s25, 900 engineers and technologists, to be-
come charter members OF the Federated
American Engineering Societies and to
appoint dolgAtos TO an organization
meeting to be held in the fall OF this
year,
The purpose of the new society, which
will be the largest Of It's kind In exist
ence, is to perpetuate the organization
which uated the profession In the inter
est OF public and state throughout the
war and eventually TO make America
the greatest engineering nation In the
world.
The Joint conference committee OF the
big four" engineering societies--eivil'
mechanical electrical and InininG-aets
az ad interim committee on organization.
The membership foe win be 81 a year
for each individual member OF each local
society and $50 u year for each MEM
ber Of each national society. The com
mlttee hopes to raise from 100000 to
$3.50, 900 a year. which will he devoted
TO public welfare
Calvert Townley, president OF the
American Institute OF Electrical En-
gineers said yesterday that the en-
gineering profession needed moro team
work within and more cooperation with
the public. Heretofore there has been
too much individualisn.
Wants President nv COnferee.
Mr.. Townley. who is one of the or
RaniEers, hopes to interest the hSads OF
the Government and have the President
and his Cabinet participate In the annual
conference Of the council OF the new
| federation.
The society expects TO spend It's funds
largely on its working materials There
will be g small salarled stan MI Town
! ley said, but engineers will be asked 70
volunteer thir services In matters on
which they are recognized as experts
One point he emphasized was the erect
the movement would have on technical
schools, II will bring to bear the united
| talent OF the engineers OF the country on
college curicula, which have oeen crltl-
cised occasionally by practical men Tor
being too scholastic.
The organization OF the Federated
American Engineering Societies was de-
cided upon at conference OF national,
State and regional engineering and allied
techical organizations at the Cosmos
Club. In Washington. June and Z by
prominent engineers from all parts OF
the country, representing more than sew
enty-five engineering societies, with an
aggregate membership of more than
| 125.000
| Its defined object Is to further the in
terests of tho public through the use OF
| technical knowledge and engineering cx-
uarience. and to consider and act upon
matters common 10 the professi>n The
constitution. as adopted by the confer
enoe, calls for the creation Of manaS-
! ing body TO be known as the American
Engineering Council. and its executive
board. Representation in this council iS
10 be accorded to the membership of the
| component societies
How Organization VIII Work.
The national council Is to coordinate
the activities OF State councils and ol
! local affiliations whenever these actiVi
ties are OF national or general tmpor'
! tance or may affect the general interest
OF engineers. Annual meetings of the
council are provided in the constitution
and an executive board Of thirty mem
bers charged with conducting the bust
ness Of the organization will meeI
monthly.
The time and place Of the first coun'
ell meeting have not been determined
vet, nor has the location Of the perma'
nent headquarters been selected, but Il
is probable that the American En-
gineering Council will succeed the ex
| isting council Of engineers, organized
for war work in June. 1917, as soon az
the former is ready to take over th'
work now in progress, which will b'
about January 1, 1921.
II has been apparent for years will
the constant increase in the number Of
engineering and other technical socie
ties. each carrying on its work inde
pendently of the others, that some form
of comprehensive organization was de
sirable which could speak for the so
cieties In matters of common concern
AS q result of the need for united actor
to meet conditions arising from the wal
the American Society of Civil En-
eineers, the American Institute of Min
ing and Metallurgical Engineers, thu
| American Society OF Mechanical En-
gineers and the American Institute o.
Electrical Engineers created a counci
with the following purpose:
ITO provide for the consideration o
matters OF common concern to engineers
as well as to those Of public welfare IL
which the profession is interested In or
der that united action may be possible.
The Engineering Council has the fol
lowing matters pending at present
classification and compensation Of en-
glneers, licensing Of engineers, watel
conservation. national board for jurisdic
tional awards In the building In iustry
national public works department. as
ssting In the preparation OF informa
tlon for the Senate committee on recon
struction and production, public affairs
military affairs. New York State Gov
ernment reconstruction, internationa
affiliation OF engineers. curricula Of en-
gineering schools. patents. payment TO
estimating. Boston, Washington super
power system, Russian-American en-
gineering cooperation and types Of Gov
ernment contracts.