INDUSTRIAL ADMINISTRATION
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
am surprised to see that my friend, Mr. B. Sechohni Rowntree, in his otherwise for the most part excellent Comments on Mr. Henry Ford's remarks on the state of British industry, makes a slip by saying that " we are the only industrial country in the world which has no institute existing solely in order to study problems of industrial administration and management and disseminate information on the most up-to-date methods." I say " slip," because I know that Mr. Rowntree is aware of the Institute of Industrial Administration, of which I have the honour (not being an industrialist myself) to be President for the year. It was founded in 1922, and, in spite of considerable difficulties in arousing interest and securing support among employers, has already accomplished important work. Its aims are to establish industrial administration as a profession, with appropriate standards of knowledge and conduct, to promote study in all the problems of administration common to industry as a whole, and to train and examine aspirants for executive positions in industry. It has now a substantial body of support amongst leading representatives of a variety of industries—but it could always do with more interest and welcome more help from that quarter.
The Institute of Industrial Administration has, after careful study of methods employed in this country and abroad, and with the aid of a number of gentlemen whose names are household words in industry, drawn up a syllabus of subjects for study and examination. Examinations are already being held (the next series taking place in May), partly of students trained at the Regent Street Polytechnic
In conjunction with the Institute. Members are welcomed from among those already engaged in industry on production of satisfactory evidence of their knowledge of a substantial proportion of the subjects above mentioned, supplemented where necessary by examination ; firms are admitted as Corporate Subscribers.
While we welcome also the establishment of university courses for training in, these subjects, we feel that industry cannot draw only upon those who can afford the time and money for that type of training, and that a considerable number of the subjects enumerated can best be studied in conjunc• tion with practical work. At the same time we exempt from examination in any of our subjects applicants for membership of the Institute who produce satisfactory evidence of knowledge of that- subject acquired in any other way. In fact we act upon the lines laid down by other professional institutes and we claim that those who receive our diploma will be at least as well fitted for their profession as those who qualify themselves for membership of any of the other
professional bodies.—I am, Sir, &c., A. S. Co3nriss CARR. 47-51 King William Street, B.C. 4.
[This letter has been shortened for reasons of space.--E Spectator.]
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