The direct result was that the ignorant, inexperienced, unscrupulous, or ne'er-do-well could always obtain a position, because he could undercut the honest, experienced man.
The unscrupulous man was most to be feared, as he would only use the position as a means to an end, and increase his emoluments by by-products, as a friend recently described secret commissions, or what the Americans called a ''rake-off''.
Any system of competing for employment was directly opposed to the best interests of engineers, as well as those of employers.
It should, therefore, be strongly opposed by all members of the society, refraining from applying, and doing their best to prevent applications being invited in this way, particularly by local authorities.
Answering such an inquiry was considered to be such a breach of professional etiquette or conduct, that the Institution of Civil Engineers (England) expelled any member proved to be guilty of the offence.
Death has removed one of the oldest identities of the Bluff, Mr Paul Smith, R.N.R., at the age of 80 years.
Mr Smith was born at Cunningburgh (Shetland Islands) in 1835. As a lad he served his apprenticeship in the fishing industry, and went to sea in a whaler, following that industry for many years.
Mr Smith whaled in the Baltic, the Arctic, and even as far north as Greenland, and his reminiscences were of an exciting and varied nature - from smash-ups by whales to tough episodes with polar bears on the Arctic ice.
In 1862 he married, and in 1873 he decided, with a number of other Shetlanders, to make a home at Stewart Island, arriving at Dunedin in the ship Uturk in 1873.
Stewart Island did not come up to expectations, and after 12 months he decided to leave it. He then settled in Bluff, where he spent the remainder of his life. For some time he was engaged in the coastal trade in the steamers Coomerang and Wanganui, but gave it up to act as stevedore for Messrs Nichol Bros., who were largely engaged in the shipping industry, assisting to load the first wool ship (the William Davey) at Bluff for London direct. Subsequently he followed the fishing industry, and also worked for the Railways Department and on the wharf.
He is survived by his wife and family of nine.
The congregation at St. Michael's Church, Christchurch, was amazed on Sunday evening by the unexpected and unusual appearance of a canine worshipper (says the Lyttelton Times).
A large bulldog wandered down the aisles, and ...calmly took a seat beside two ladies.
The ladies were alarmed at the proffered friendship, and hastily jumped up.
The dog thereupon left the seat and found his way into a pew occupied by a well-known worshipper and his wife; but the lady, on seeing the unwelcome intruder, hastily jumped up, as if to leave the church.
Her husband thereupon took the animal in his arms and carried him out, depositing him in the road and closing the gate. Before he could resume his seat in church, however, the dog had outdistanced him and took a stand beside Canon Burton.
Ultimately the animal was enticed to the belfry by the verger, and was shut up till the conclusion of the service. - ODT, 12.3.1915.
