The sun., 1901-12-09
SOLVING THE LABOR PROBLEW.
Instruction Charts With Bonuses Doing
II In Bethlehem.

Improved mechanical devices ana IN
creased intelligen in using them. better
work and greater speed In doing 1t are
recognized as the factors which counter
act In American industries the cheap labor
in the competing manufactures Of the
Old World High wages here and more
work intelligently performed in return are
winning out In the end against the low
wages and slow work 'muddled through
somehow in the factories Of Europe, with
the result that improved machines and
methods Of lettering tasks and speeding
them are Of interest to the American en-
ployer.
A new system Of task work, involving the
use Of instruction cards and the payment
OF bonuses for good results, which was in
troduced a short time ago in the great
machine shop OF the Bethlehem Steel Com
pany, where IL Is said to be maintained
with remarkable success. was explained
to the Society Of Mechanical Engineers at
one Of its sessions last week by its author
II. l.. CAN'T Of Bethlehem.
MIR. CAN'T described the method as really
a system Of education with prizes for those
who learn, and he asserted that the results
achieved have borne out the theory It in
wolves most fully. Under the system, he
said, the Bethlehem company's men have
learned in a few months more than they
ever did before in years, with corresponding
benefit to their employers and to them
selves.
The system Ia founded on the axiom that
the ordinary man. whether mechanic or
laborer. II left TO himself seldom performs
any operation In tho manner most eco
nomical either OF time or labor, and that
therefore a decided advantage can be gained
81 ttNaN ,.nN.A -.
beet to perform the work they are set TO
do and a monetary incentive to do II that
way.
In the Bethlehem machine shop a card
is made out showing In detail the best
method Of performing each Of the elemen-
tary operations on any piece OF work, speci-
fying the tools TO be used and setting the
time needed for each Of these operations,
as determined by experts. The sum OF
these times. Of course, is the time needed
to complete the work.
IfShe workman follows his instructions
and accomplshes all the work laid out for
him as constituting his proper task for the
daya bonus is paid TO him in addition 10 his
days wages. II at the end of the day he
has failed TO accomplish all tho work laid
out he receives only his day rate. Mr.:
CAN'T intimated that the Bethlehem Steel
Company had found the system profitable
enough not only 10 pay the bonuses, but TO
pay experts also for planning the work.
The system grew gradually In the COM
pany's machine shop and the bonus was 10
some extent an addition to the original
plan. The benefits from the instruction
carde increased az the men making out
the cards became more and more skilful,
and the cards were made out more and
more in detail.
From the first there was comparatively
little difficulty in getting the men TO work
according to the Instructions given but II
was found that many Of the machines were
frequently idle and that every workman
could furnish a plausible excuse for the
idleness. even though his tools were kept
In shape for him and his work was 20 pre-
pared that all he had 20 do was 10 20 ahead
within No matter how efficient the system.
the operatives found good reasons for
dallying over their work and thus held
the output down materially.
This was where the bonus came In. When
that was established the ume-wastng
ceased and the output went up. To en-
sure that the men receive all the assistance
possible from the foreman, he receives
a premium on their work. and II ls thsr~-
fore 10 his interest 20 give the poorer ones
special instruction and attention.
The systam." Mr. Gautf told his brotber
engineers, 's. in fact an attempt at tar
inoni2iug the interests OF the employer
and employee, and, while IL affords sub
stailtial Justice to n" employee, requires
that he shall always conform 10 the best
interests az his employer. That II sc-
comp'ishes such a result. a. least In a rnas-
urc il shown by the fact that " las caused
y complete change In the whole Htmos-
pher- of the shop, notwithstanding the
fact that II has been In operation Tor
few months only