The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-11
RAILROAD NEWS.
Santa Fe Giving Important Ex-
pertinent a Trial at Topeka.
Has AdOpted" premium System
of Paying Machinists.
TO INCREASE OUTPUT.
Premium Offered to WOrkmen
for Fast Work.
Innovation Is Well Received at
the Topeka Shops.
TO INCREASE OUTPUT.

chine shops, and if the innovation IS
found to be successful it viii be intro
duced in the other general shops Of the
system. at such points as Fort Madt-
son, La Junta, Albuquerque, San Bef-
nardino and Cleburne, Texas.
The innovation is what is know as
the premium system" of paying the
nachinists for work performed. It has
the elements of the piece work sys-
tenn in that the industrious and energetic
workman is enabled to earn more tnan
| a laggard. It has an advantage TO the
employe over the spiece work system,
in that each ennploye is paid the regular
daily wage, according TO the scheouie or
scale Of wages for the alfIerent classes
premiums for all work turned out IN
quicker time than has been the custo-
mary habit of the workmen.
The experiment has been in progress
in the local shops under the supervision
of H Emerson, an experienced man IN
this class of work. He makes his head
quarters in Topeka
When it was decided to give this plan
a trial, arrangements were made to
/ Quietly time the workmen to deter
/ mine the average time required to ac-
/ conplish- the various classes of work on
/ the lathes and other machines in the
/ machine shop. The WOrknen soon dis
! covered that they were being timed and
! a great deal of speculation was aroused
as to whether the company intended TO
| introduce the piece work system IN
/ the machine shops. The belief that
such was the case was met with vary
/ ing degrees Of enthusiasm, but now that
the real purpose of the timing of the
| employees has been learned, the indica-
lions are that the plan is meeting with
/ almost universal favor.
Every kind of work in the repair and
machine shops is classified, and a sehe-
dule is made up showing how long 1t
| takes an average workman, unoer aV-
erage conditions to complete the work
! under each classification. This schedule
i is taken for standard, and If work
| man is energetic and careful, thereby
| turning out the work in a less time
than that called for by the schedule, he
| is paid premium depending in amount
/ on the length of time less than that
/ called for by the schedule.
Every man is paid his regular daily
wages, but he has the opportunity of
4 increasing his daily earnings to as much
4 more as he is able to make by the
\ premiums. If a workman is a laggard
4 and the reports show that he is not ac-
! comprising the average amount OF
| work. it is likely that his services VIII
Il be dispensed with. The salary reports
I will show who are the energetic, smart
Il and skilled workmen, and will serve as
an index when it comes to making
/ promotions.
The highest price per nour paid to the
skilled machinists is about "a cents per
J
many of the most Industrious of the
machinists have been earning about 40
cents per hour and in some instances
even higher than 40 cents.
The plan has not yet been perfected.
Although the experiment has been in
/ progress for about six months, II mas
been impossible to get every kind OF
work performed in the shop classIhed
and timed. This work is being carried
out however, as rapidly as possible ana
it seems to be meeting with welcome
: at the hands Of the workmen.
/ While the Santa F'e company will pay
a materially Increased amount in wages
: to the WOrkfnen, it will at the same time
3 ecorlO1nize in the long run through the
: Increased output of the shop. The cost
Of general supervision in a machine
, eral foreman and all the different shop
foremen aggregate a large expenditure.
: If each man Of the many hundred, at
, work in the shops turns out q job IN
: nine or less than nine hours which has
heretofore taken ten hours, it is obvious
that a large amount of time is saved
every day, and every month this aggre-
/, gates an enormous saving. The output
of the shop is increased, while the cost
:, of supervision has remained the same
Thousands of dollars are tied up IN
expensive machinery and buildings. II
l is argued that if an increased output IS
thousands of dollars for additional ma
chinery and building room, consider
able sum is thereby saved.
In many instances the cost of the sal
, ary of the workman who does q JOD Is
l but a small part of the total cost The
= proportion Of the whole cost Of general
= supervision of the shop must be added
/ The cost of light and heat and power
l must be added. If a machine valued at
five or ten thousand dollars is used one
/ whole day on the job, the amount Wnlcn
= if is but fair should be credited as the
= earnings of so large an investment OF
!. money for one day, must also pc auueu'
: If a machine cost $4,000 and IS IN ser
/ vice on a piece Of work one day, the IN
s terest on the amount of money invest
ed in the machine is almost haII as
. much as the machinist's salary for the
day, to say nothing OF the wear anu
tear on the machine.
All of these things taken into consld-
1 Grafton determined the officials OF She
Santa Fe that the payment o. IL, d
premium for an increased output, WINE
it would increase the payroll, would al
so result in a showing of economy on
account Of the increased amount OF
work accomplished with the same faeii-
ties.
The plan so far as the officials have
been able to observe from the e1pe .i-
ment in the Topeka shops VIII result
e benehcially to all concerned, ootn 70 tne
company and to the employees. Inc eA-
pertinent will be more fully developed
in the Topeka shops, and the plan VIII
be thoroughly systematized beIore II Is
e introduced in the other shops OF the
= system.
6 It win in no way affect the 'pieee
work system now in force in the car
o shops.
In introducing the premium system.
= the officials Of the company have round
q that it was necessary, to make large
y expenditures in the direction Of general
s Improvement of the shop facilities
g one thing for instance, was in the
V | matter of belts for use in transmitting
4 The mower to turn the big machines
!. | When the premium system was adopt
| - +I,a av,,rIoves began to want to TURF