Show I Municipal cipal Power Plant Managers Lack Training Running a municipal electric light plant is an important public service in over 1800 cities in th the United States Yet only two thirds of t these plant administrators have had any general education above grammar school according toa 3 stud study tl Municipal Municipal Mu Electric Pl Plant Managers rs just published by Public Administration Service Chicago which gives information information mation about of them Although managers are arc expected to be technically responsible persons only occasionally to themen the themen men holding the jobs do city charters char char- specify an engineer as plant manager Few also are selected by civil service or any formal tests of oC qualification Less than tenth one of the managers have attended colleges of engineering correspondence schools most frequently being the source of ot their technical trai training ing Except in cities with over pop population nearly half the managers in several sections of ot the country answer an an- that they have had no technical training a at all Prior exp experience of the right kind may maybe be a substitute for technical training the author Edna C C. C MacMahon MacMahon Mac- Mac Mahon points out At pr present ent however however how how- ever light plant managers in small communities have In many cases been farmers or business men before In larger cit cities they have usually been engaged in industrial or Dr electrical wor work previous to becoming managers There is a n need d for ing th these jobs the author points out This would make possible exchange of ot managers among citi cities which is the case with only on tenth one of them now according to survey Tenures of reasonable l I length fostered by adequate adequate adequate ade ade- quate salaries and freedom re dom from unfavorable un un- un favorable political influence are among elements clements necessary to build buildup buildup buildup up these professional nal standards Wide differences s in s salary lary tenure duties hi ties and powers of the the plant plant managers managers man man- agers various fn cities at present are indicated d in the stir survey ey which Is the first to show what t kinds ot of men manage man manage age plants and Under un Un- der what c conditions they hold their posts |