Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-27
WORTH THOUSANDS
TIME LOST BY oTTUMWANs IN
INSPECTING CONSTRUCTION
OF NEW BUILDINGS.
Prominent Citizen Submits Estimate
and Suggests Remedy-TotaI Of
2,7oo Days Lost at Cost Of $4,425 -
Tells Reasons for New Plan.
Number Of onlookers, per

Number of onlookers, per
houf, .............. ...... 100
Average time lost by each
Number Of hours in work day
Number of work days in
month .............. "a
Number of months ;. $3.50. 8
Total number of minutes lost
1,296,UUO
Total number of hours 49,. .21000
Total number of days lost. 42.7o0
Average wage per day :. !. $1.75
Total loss to citizens of OF
tumWa 49,. ........ $4,4 25.00
Cost of measure to prevent
loss ......... 10000
amount OF saving ........ 4,225.00
One million, two hundred nine
ty-six thousand minutes, worth -four
thousand, four hundred twenty
five dollars, Iill be lost to the people
of Ottumwa within the next three
months unless the proper steps are
taken to prevent it.
The number of onlookers who at
all times surround the lots on which
the two new large business blocks
are being built has been the cause
lately OF a great deal of comment
One prominent citizen has so studied
and brooded over. the sinful waste OF
precious moments caused in this way
that he, in company with one or tive
other prominent business men who
have the best interest of the com
munity at heart, have about decided
m fo1yn -Sn Ia ~, to- orro ~
loss of time and money, for certainly
time is money. The remedy sug.
gested is the building of high board
fence around these lots and in this
way eoncealing the work being done
from the gaze Of the curious on
lockers. 1t has been suggested that
a committee wait upon the owners OF
the buildings regarding the work and
if necessary carry it before the city
council.
Gives His Figures.
One of the most prominent of the
men behind this novel movement said
to a representative of the Courier
You see it is this way There is
never a time from the moment that
work commences in the morning till
the men stop in the evening that
there are not at least seventy-five
men around the two structures
watching the progress of the work
men. Now it is a very conservative
estimate to say that at least one hund
red and fifty people stop and watch
the work in one hour. Some. viii
stay thirty minutes, some won't lin
ger for five, but from personal OBJ
servation l am certain that fifteer
minutes is small average to use
This would make 2,250 rniEutes il
an hour or $4,000 minutes in an eigh'
hour day.
Nov then, counting out Sundays
and rainy days we may safely use
twenty-feur working days in month
and while it is certain that The
buildings will not be completed IL
three mentus, yet in all probability
by that time they will have ceased tt
attract the interest of the curious, 81
that as basis you will find that the
citizens of Ottumwa will, when thu
three months are up, have WASTED
1,296,000 minutes of valuable time
that can never be reclaimed What
you don't believe it? Well there
are the figures. Twenty-Five times
$4,000 makes $4,000, and three time.
$4,000 makes 1,296,000 minutes O
21,600 hours, and figuring at the eigh
hour basis this makes 2.700 days
Now then, of course some of the mel
who inger around these buildings
may not be worth more than dolla
a day, yet the time of some of the mel
whom have seen loafing arount
them | know to be worth as higl
as fifty dollars a day, SO that I thinl
am using very conservative fig
ure when | count each day at s1.75
| This will make a grand total of $4,42
that 1t will cost the citizens of OF
tumwa if the fence that we will pc
tition for is not erected.
Holds Something UP Sleeve.
"And yet, great and almost ifnpos
sible as this seems it is not all. II
fact, it may well be the smal1es
part of the loss that may be occa
stoned in this way. Think of tn
possible loss of the business men VIII
are depending upon the efficient worl
of those very ones who are throw
ing away their time in this useles
manner The time lost by the work
ing men In chatting with friends an
acquaintance in the audience of on
lockers, of the time lost by the pas
sers-by who though intent upon thei
own business are compelled to pus,
! their way through the crowd. An
| could go on and tell you even still
greater reasons why this thing mus
4 be done but we desire to hold some
thing up our sleeve, as it were, t
silence the opposition that we ar
| led to expect.
However, In spite of this oppos
ton, we are certain that when tn
matter has been presented to tn
council in it's proper light the desire
action will be taken"