The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-12
FEE COsr o. RUNNING RAIL
ROADS.
Mr.. Harrington Emssssn's Twelve psfn'
etples % Ensetency ESpiaDs1.

| sar. HARRINGTON Emsrssn's Twelve rSfns
etpass % Emssency Expians1.
To raR EpIron or TIE srx-sG Your
editorial discussion OF Mr. Harrington
Emerson's philosophy Of enfciency in this
mornings SrN 10 very interesting but a.
have been actively engaged In ,he edit0raai
handling Of his writings and the editorsnip
Of his book on Efficiency rs q Basis Tor
Operation and Wages. will you allow me to
amend your statement Of what u presup-
posed In his perfect or ideal management
Mr.. Emerson has formulated twelve prin-
| ciples OF efficiency. OF which one OF the fore-
r:ost IL common sense. No one would
recognize NOR fully than he that the perfect
ideal. ~hils valuable as q. stimulus to EFFORT.
I In something further aud higher than the at
tainablo performance. His methods. while
they hold the ideal view. are intended to
secure wholly aftainabls standards. The
! point TO which I wish to take exception.
| however. Ia in what seems to he your defini-
| tion OF his practical steps These you state
to be. First. putting into eject
n piecework and bonus system which VIII
stimulate In its highest degree the individual
effort Of every laborer and secondly. that
every railroad company shall be able 20
operate a. economically In every respect
as does that company which happens to be
most successful In that particular respect
You add 1t IL well known that the labor
unions are nnnltsrsblv opposed 10 the
bonus and piecsworS system. sal that THIS
indispensable part of Mr Emerson's pro
gramme - not likely to he realized until
after the overthrow OF q fundamental priu-
ciple OF or -aniIed labor.
Bonus or piecework il in fact the least
essential and the last step not the first step.
In any form Of scientific management. The
piece rates and bonus plans that have caused
rssh vaA In N
systems unscientincally introduced in direct
opposition to the foundational principles of
scientific management. Whether you take
the gospel Of this mana cement as preached
by Emerson. or CAN'T. or Barth. or Giibreth.
or the greatest apostle OF all Mr.. Frederick
W. Taylor. its basic principles are the sans.
They are:
First. thorough analysis OF the situation
in gross and in detail. to distinguish the
actually productive elements OF operation
and the causes Of loss and waste
Secondly. removal OF these causes OF low
efficiency. so far as they are remediable. and
provision for performing the operations IN
the best practicable way.
Thirdly. Standardization of this best prac-
tcable way. and instruction to the operative
how TO perform the operation in that way
Fourthly. provision Of an incentive to the
operative sufficient 20 secure his coopers-
ton. This may he an increased day wage.
q premium or bonus piece rate, or u puTtly
sentimental reward.
The genius OF the system IL that instead
Of putting Il up to the man below to pro-
due. results. with the final result that the
work IL done by the lowest intelligence. the
mai -owest vision and the smallest capacity
to control conditions Of the entire organiya-
ton. the conditions are controlled and the
manner Of doing the work /. planned and
directed ny the highest intelligence. the
hynahaaf ytann and the laYge4t
control conditions Of the entire organIza-
ton Piece rates, fixed after this scientific
study do no, have to be cut, and when labor
understands this its opposition disappears.
Mana cement OF this sort. accompanied nv
bonus payments. IL IN practical operation.
not only with union men hut with the
strongest and least tolerant unions IN the
country the typographical and building
trades
Tn. testimony before the Interstate Com
merce Commission. Of which Mr. Emerson
formed "a part was no. a recital "f visions
or a definition ~ impossible ideals II was
a direct matter OF fact statement ny manu-
facturerS Of the results secured nv them
through years OF experience with scientific
MANAGEMENT ia o err own embellishments.
These results we're IN every case rcdpCt ion ~
manufacturing cost reduction OF selling
price increase Of output and profits and
wases but the essentials 81 the method
Of wastes. the Standardization al work nv
the best practicable methods and the
instruction OF workmen. whi:e IN. wage
method WAS incidental only These Wit
n"--e- offered no criticism Of IN. efficiency
Of the railroads II any criticism wa-
implied II was certainly helpful and con
-tructive. MS illustrating what the new
point Of view and the new philosophy ~
management had accomplished for concerns
that were supposed 80 he efficiently or
gained under the old ideals. and hence
what this new point of view and new phi
lu-ophy ~ management might accomplish
for railways which aleRe thew have reached
the limit OF efficiency under tn. Old IDEALS
m interesting illustration u the differ
-nCe in point 81 view however. was AT
forC.d nv the testimony NJ a railroad man
Mr. Joseph Ramsey. Jr . justified the rN-
ramslv low average mileage mad" 10y
freight cars IN service IN rnuEhout the United /
states an average movement ~ tw"ntv one
and one half miles = day ny quoting a. a
typical case coal -hI pments passing through ,
81 LOUIS. IN which ~ regularly took thirteen
days 10 move a car seventy five miles His /,
argument was that ~ IL TOOK This tim" 'hi+ /
time was necessary The argument of the |
efficiency engineer would b- thar II ~ took /
this tim" something must h. wrong Waste /
Of time could probably he traced To - cum.
b-rsom- system and In-fyfcisncy uf Ter. /!
minal fscilf'iea or -ome csusr dependent !
upon organization or equipment. bat Ger.
tainly very ht'i" dependent upon LABOR. and |
only indirectly IL az all upon the influence" !
Of piece rates which seem 30 he 50 curiousIy |
confused IN the public mind with the -cien- |
tifc management u which they are only a !
minor element
CHAELEs NTuN GOiSs