The San Francisco call., 1906-06-24

to every one of the thousands employ
ed, and those who sent in the best sug-
gestions were rewarded in money,
thereby winning recognition for their
cleverness and getting in line for. pro-
motion.
This same system was carried out in
the engineering and purchasing depart
ments. 1t was also extended to the va
rious field" jobs no matter how differ
ent they all were in their character
For the superintendent and down TO the
man who mixed the mortar system
rules were framed and enforced Men
who could not read, write or speak
English were trained in their small
parts of the system. Many of the su-
perintendents on big jobs have served
their time as carpenters and bricklay-
ers. Gilbreth, who is an engineer and
still a young man, served his time as
bricklayer, and rose up step by step
the entire grade of the builders craft.
Though many of his superintendents
began as he did, others started as en-
gineers in the field or timekeepers.
Two have come into his organiza tion as
college professors.
Assistants on every job conducted by
the organization know just what the
duties are of the men higher up. Fore
men of bricklayers have sub-foremen
who in moment could step into their
places and do their work, or be rushed
off by telegram a thousand miles to be-
come foremen Oh new job.
Men laying bricks on the righthand
of a wall are the working foremen of
that wall, men working in the middle
are the next in rank and the brick
layer on the left the third in command
In the absence of any one the other can
step into his shoes of authority. All of
these men have their system books
Il
of the men over them, and they also re-
ceive cash prizes for good suggestions.
All suggestions, criticisms and
knocks" are edited and taken official
notice of, and definite rules establishe ed
to cover everything. so that the respon-
sibility for the slightest error can be
placed.
Every job is kept in daily touch with
the home office by means of careful re-
port systems that cover every phase of
the work, including labor, machinery
and material. By this means the various
forces at work may be shifted and reg
ulated to meet the ever-changing con-
ditions, and delays caused by lack of
men or supplies are eliminated. Should
hitch occur byTsome accident some
where along the line the point of OBJ
struction may be quickly located and
conditions rectified. If, for instance a
superintendent should fail to order GER
tain tools. and the men and material
should be provided, the lack would be
noted on the daily reports and the SUI
perintendent's attention called to the
matter. On the other hand, if the su-
perintendent should make an erroneous
report, the responsibility for the con-
sequent delay would be placed on him
and not on the purchasing department
The knowledge that this blame may be
placed serves as powerful incentiv e
for errorless work, and -errorless work
means speed. Speed is the keynote of
the entire organization.
Bodies of men who handle big jobs
like building cities in the forest or
twenty emile canals in Louisiana
swamps or designing and constructing
great manufacturing plants that cover
eight acres of ground in eight months
can be summoned hundreds or thous-
ands of miles by telegram. These men
who got kilograms from Gilbreth call