The Portland daily press., 1881-01-11
Managing Men.
Hints on Workshop Rules.
[From the Boston journal of Commerce.l

From the Boston journal of Commercel
One of the misfortunes of organization
among men is the necessity of classification.
Nothing is so individual as man, and nothing
in creation is so much made the subject of rig
id, unyielding classification. In the school
pupils are dealt with in classes, and in the
shop the workmen en- masse, yet the children
and the workmen are individuals, no two of
whom are alike in any essential quality. But
this classification is necessary if organization
and concerted effort is to be secured and at
tempted. Tie object should be to diminish as
much as possible the pressure of the unyield-
ing rules. There must be rules in all shops
else the profits will disappear, the work stop,
and proprietor and workman both be out of
job. The ten hours fair labor per day just as
much belongs to the employer as the three
dollars PER day belongs to the workman. 1t
is no less robbery for the workman to take
five minutes out of the last forenoon hour and
another five minutes out of the last afternoon
hour to wash and perform toilet in, than it
would be for the employer to knock off ten
cents day from tho employees wages and give
him sixty cents less per week than his nominal
stipend. Yet one of these practices is COM
mon. Still the rigid Interpretation given to
some shop rules in their execution is very in
judicious Especially is this the case in re-
gard to time. In some shops tardineSS of
five minutes, or even less, is treated as ser-
Gus matter-which might be, perhaps, if fol-
lowed up for months and years-and the de-
llnquent is treated almost as though he had
committed a crime. This is case where in
dividual facts cannot be made to toe the line
OF class system. The dwelling of one work
man may be at distance of one minute, and
that of another a distance of ten minutes.
One may get his meals at a boarding house
where the business is to have meals ready on
time, while another has sickly wife and
family of children. There are mauy circum-
stances which hinder the rigid execution of
such rule, and that employer shows bis wis
dom who does not attempt to enforce hard
rules without taking into account extenuatng
circumstances attending their infraction.
The writer knows an extensive concern
before the noon hour strikes, or before "knock-
ing OFF, time at night The visitor sees all
the men busy at their jobs, no aprons removed
no hands wiped on waste, no overalls taken
Off until the engine stops. Then the men pro-
ceed to wash up and get ready to go. In most
concerns the time of noon may be known to
second by an eruption of men and boys from
the doors and gates; in this, II o'clock passes
and two or three minutes more before any
such movement is seen except an occasional
begrimmed coal man who will not bother to
wash up. Now it would be scarcely fair to
compel the workmen to be at work at the ex-
piration of the hour, and this is not demanded
The O'Clock whistle does not sound until 1
o'clock, and no notice, apparently, is taken of
tardy comers. If the hands are at work by
five or seven minutes past everybody is sat
isfed. But an employe who attempts to take
advantage of this indu gence, and systematic
ally defrauds his employer of 10 or Is minutes
per day, is informed that he is not wanted.
A good excuse for hardness or loss of time is
always accepted in good faith at this concern,
unless it has been proved that the mans word
is unreliable. The proprietor of this concern
is greatly esteemed and beloved by his men.
They respect him because he respects them;
they love him because he doesn't attempt to
patronize them. He manages his men be-
cause he knows how to run his shop