, 1890-01-11
THE VALUE OF MINUTES.
Different Views Regarding the Interesting
Question Of Wasted Time.

There are many different and more
or less conflicting views as to what
constitutes a waste of time. Severe
people consider every moment wasted
that is not devoted to productive work
or necessary sleep or rest. They would
make of man a mere machine, to be fed
to maintain his energies, to be allowed
to sleep a limited number of hours to
prevent wearing out, but would have
him devote all his other hours to work
of some kind.
Other people, a little broaderin their
views, recognize the need of inteliec-
tual culture and would permit a GER
tain amoun of time TO be given to
reading and study without counting il
a waste. The liberals recognize an
other need of humanity, and allow
some hours for recreation and amuse-
ment. But there may be waste of
time under any of these Limitations,
and they may be to some extent VIC
lated without waste. Time is wasted
that does not produce benefit of some
kind to the individual, but the kinds
OF benefit to which he is susceptible
are so many and the needs of different
men so various that there is an almost
infinite variety of ways in which time
may be usefully employed. The test
as to whether time is being wasted
must, therefore, be applied in indiyid-
ual cases, and the only question is
whether it is being benefcially EN-
ployed.
That time devoted to recreation or
amusement is not wasted is expressed
in the old proverb: "All work and no
play makes Jack n dull boy.n a
cheerful disposition is such an impor-
tant factor in energetic work that to de
prive a man of the enjoyments of life
IS to curtail his working power. If,
however, a due proportion is not
maintained between work and play
there is a waste Of time in the opposite
direction Too much amusement pro
NOTES n distaste for work.
The hours devoted Il reading and
study arc beneicially employed, not
wasted, when the line of study is such
as TO promote the welfare of the in
dividual, but time may be wasted in
reading that which is of no benefit or
that which distracts ones thoughts
from necessary occupations. Time
may even be wasted in productive
work if it should be of a kind that de
grades or that is less beneficial than
other available kinds OF work. But
by far the greatest waste of time comes
from want of method. 1t is constant
hour by hour, and like the constant
dropping of water on a stone, produces
nm effect apparently out of all proper
ton TO the cause.
Every II has noticed that in q well
ordered household or shop every tool
has its place and work proceeds sys-
tematically. One thing is no soone.
Hnnn than nfRfbA- 60 .a.l.- - III
and the tools are always in order and
ready to be taken up. On the other
hand, in a d~isorderly household or
shop, working without method, there
are frequent Interruptions or DELAYS
while the question is being considered
what to do next, or while search is be-
ing made for tools that when found
have to be put in order before the main
work can be begun. A few minutes
out Of an hour may be wasted in such
delays, but in the aggregate they
amoun to u total that shows this to be
one of the most common and almost
unnoted sources of the waste of time.
In large establishments employing
thousands Of men the employer has to
look after the possible waste of time.
by as many individuals as he EMPLOYS,
ana his prosperity or failure NAV turn
upon this simple question of a waste of
time. In such a case the loss by the
individual is SO greatly multiplied that
IN n single day it may mount to
enough to offset the profits of a close
business. This is the reason for tho
attention given in manufacturing es-
adjustments to methods of doing
work and for the strict rules govern.
ing the admission and departure of
workingmen.
To the individual it sometimes seems
unnecessary TO close the doors at 7
o'clock and compel a man who is one
minute late to lose n quarter of a day,
but n little calculation shows the ne
cessity for such n rule. 1t is not only
the individual who would lose time if
such rules did not exist. The whole
establishment would be demoralized if
they were not established and en-.
forced, thousands of dollars worth of
machinery would lie idle, along with
the workmen, and it would be impossi-
bic to keep the work moving from de-
partment to department so as to avoid
further waste of time.
In workshop employing 5000 men
live minutes wasted time by EACH man
In a day would mean the loss of the In.
Dor of twenty-five men for a dav of
ten hours, besides the incidental losses
due to idle machinery and the diff
Guilty of keeping the whole establish.
ment constantly employed if there
should be uncertainty as to the out
put from any department. The ex-
IRENE case OF n large establishment
only serves to point out what
takes place ON a smaller scale in small.
er factories and workshops where there
Is lack of method or disregard of rules
as to h hours of labor.
The particular ways in which time
should be employed always assuming
they are not positively harmfuD are
really of less importance than that
there should be method in the use of
time and avoidance of the smaller
items of waste that result from care.
lessness in preparation, thoughtless-
ness and a neglect of system.-BaIti-
o Sun.
H1aa- N