license the county surveyor. License the county surveyor all you want to, and then license the lawyer. MR. STEELE: This talk takes me back to the organization of the Society, when we were trying to make a change in the system of election of surveyors, and to get some one who should hold the office of county surveyor who knew how to perform its duties. We could see that men were elected to that office without the slightest knowledge of the business, and there were glaring defects in the laws. We made comparisons with other professions, in which men were obliged to pass examination before practicing. The druggist must be examined before. he puts up poisons, but anyone can go out in Michigan and establish lines and make people trouble. He can measure land with a piece of cord, and it is just as legal as work done by the other fellow with a $10 tape. But when you undertake to get the legislature of Michigan to move in this matter of examination of this officer, or any other surveyor, whether he be elected to the office or not, you will find a good many things in the way. First, who is going to examine him? A board, you say. Another board to be formed. More expense. We can have fish commissioners, and hatch white fish by the million, and the expense is not counted, but when we are talking about making the work of the surveyor more useful and valuable to the owners of property, then we are set at naught. We are trying to turn the cone over onto its apex and make it stand. We can't do it. Now, I believe this Society did conclude a long time ago that it would allow the poor county surveyor to do just as he had a mind to. They would read up and talk it up and go home and practice what they had learned, and let him do the same. In other words they would improve themselves, and if possible improve him, and every man in the State, without regard to condition or color; try to get him up into a better condition than he was. That is the work of this Society. It is not to put down anybody or deprive anybody of his office, but to help him up. Keep up a big whirlwind here, that will draw in others from all around. Let him see there is something in this work, that we are here for business, not pleasure, and they will be enthused in a little while to join with us. That is what we want. The more the better. As Mr. Hodgman has said, the condition of every surveyor is far better than it was ten or twelve years ago in this State. His responsiblities are no less, but his opportunities and privileges are greater. What can he do now? By joining this Society, he can get the reports of this and other societies, and gentlemen, I would not take a good many dollars for those folios. I have had them all bound this year, and they make a nice row, and if there is anything I value it is that set of Engineers' Reports. Every time we meet we are making a new report and we are making something we can look at with pride, and I think in that respect, we can invite with a good conscience every man to join us. Hence, I say I would be opposed to another effort towards working through the legislature at this time, to do away with that office or introduce any system of examination. Not because I don't think it would be good, but because I think it would be an utter waste of time to spend it upon a legislature that would not do anything. They turned their backs to us, and when we, with the utmost respect, sent them our memorial asking to have something done, the committee had the indecency to not even report it. I have never forgotten it, and it will be a long cold day when I sign my name to any other memorial in that line. MR. TODD: I know that the Michigan Engineering society is making itself felt, even in our legislature. I wish to say that at our last meeting at Lansing, I went to see the senator and representative from our county, and said our society was in convention, and invited them to attend, and they did attend and expressed themselves very much surprised indeed and very much pleased, and further said if there was anything they could do to advance the interests of the society, that was reasonable, they would willingly and gladly do it. Now, I think if every member of this society will take the member of his section in hand, he could manipulate him to good advantage. I think we can bring the matter before them so they can see the equity of it. They are made of the same stuff we are, and I think there is an element of justice even in our legislature. BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS. PRESIDENT: Gentlemen, the secretary reminds me that we have a little business to do, and I will trust him to tell you what we have to do. Mr. Secretary you have the deck. MR. HODGMAN: The officers of this society should make their annual report. Nominations are to be made for officers for the ensuing year, and an amendment to the bylaws, has been submitted to the board of directors which should be acted upon. In order to post the society on what was done at the annual meeting of the board of directors, I will say that the meeting was appointed in accordance with the law, at Lansing, the second Wednesday of October. Only two members of the board of directors were present. They adjourned the meeting to Ann Arbor, where a majority of the board of directors live. I was unable to attend in person, but I received this report of the doings of the board of directors at that meeting: REPORT. MICHIGAN ENGINEERING SOCIETY. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ANNUAL MEETING. The directors met pursuant to adjournment from Lansing, October 14 to meet in Ann Arbor the week following because of want of a quorum. They met at the residence of Prof. Chas. E. Greene, October 22, 1891, at 7 p. m. Present: Prof. C. E. Greene, Prof. M. E. Cooley, and J. B. Davis directors, and Profs. W. H. Pettee, C. S. Denison, and Mr. Fred Morley members. J. B. Davis was made chairman of the meeting. The secretary, Mr. F. Hodgman, not being able because of ill health to be present, Mr. F. Morley upon being requested by the directors acted as secretary pro tem. for this meeting. From his notes this record is prepared. The members present were invited to take part in the labors of the meeting and did so, much to the aid and gratification of the directors. The first business was canvassing ballots. There were chosen by letter ballot a president, a vice president, a secretary-treasurer, and three directors. Professors Pettee and Denison were made tellers to assist Professors Greene and Cooley in making the canvass. Two tally sheets were kept. All the names and votes were canvassed at once. The following is the result: Sixty-three ballots were counted. Two or three could not be counted because it was impossible to discern the voters' choice. One such is preserved showing every name checked. Some others could be counted only in part, for the same reason, the voters' choice could not be discovered from the marks: For president--Prof. W. F. Durand, 59. Elected. For vice president-Prof. M. E. Cooley, 37. Elected. For secretary-treasurer—F. Hodgman, 63. Elected. Elected. Hon. Geo. E. Steele, 33. Elected. Prof. J. B. Davis, 39. Elected. Mr. A. J. Teed, 24. Wm. Appleton, 23. G. S. Williams, 9. After full discussion by all present, the directors voted unanimously to hold the next annual convention at Grand Rapids, to begin January 19, at 2 p. m., and continue through the 20th and 21st. The directors were pleased to receive notice of the following papers for the coming convention and signified their approval by unanimous vote: Sewerage of Dayton, Ohio, Geo. S. Pierson; Hydrographic Surveying, J. H. Forster; Developing Water Bearing Strata for Irrigation or Water Supply, A. L. Reed; Opinion of U. S. Supreme Court on the Ownership of Lake Beds, F. Hodgman; Pneumatic Street Railway Propulsion, S. E. Jarvis; Building Stones, second paper, W. H. Pettee. It was also announced that papers could be expected from Prof. M. E. Cooley, probably on Radiator Tests; Prof. C. S. Denison, probably on Idaho Boundary; Mr. Fred Morley, probably on Survey of Grand river. Copy of an amendment to by-law six was submitted in writing by F. Hodgman, as required by by-law nine, which was received and filed. A request was made that Mr. Steele furnish the society with such information as he is able to relating to the State boundary between Ohio and Michigan, laws, acts, commission work or any matter that he may deem important, that the members may become informed of what has been done relating to this line. Indorsed by the directors. The report of the secretary, Mr. F. Hodgman, was received, read and filed. The report of the treasurer, Mr. F. Hodgman, was received, read and filed. Both reports covered transactions for the preceding year. Bills for actual expenses of the board of directors for this annual meeting for 1891 were allowed and ordered paid. The secretary was instructed by vote to correspond with the local members relative to making the preliminary arrangements for the coming annual convention at Grand Rapids. The directors then adjourned. per J. B. DAVIS, Scrippo. FRED MORLEY, Secretary pro tem. The following are the reports made to the board of directors: ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. Your secretary would respectfully report the following business transacted by him for the society since the last annual meeting. Immediately after that meeting, arrangements were made and program made out for the annual convention. This was held in Lansing in the pioneer room of the capitol building. The secretary was unable to be present at the convention and the stenographer's report was of so little value that no use could be made of it. For this reason the reports in the Annual both of business transactions and discussions are of the briefest. No report whatever was made of the addresses by Professors Greene and Denison. The contract for printing the Annual was let to the Review & Herald Printing company of Battle Creek. The preparation of the copy was delayed by reason of the want of a suitable report of the proceedings and the publication was further delayed over a month after everything else was in print to secure the advertisements. In |