New-York tribune., 1910-12-08
PLANNING AND PERFORMANCE
Results of Scientific Methods Told at
Railway Rate Hearing.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The railroad freight rate hearing
before the Interstate Commerce ComInls-
sion AT Washington last week brought the
subject of scientific management into great
prominence It is probable that. being
new science, the public has only rant
idea Of what scientific management really
is Having had considerable to do with II
I in the last five years. may trespass
somewhat on your space to explain this
science which is 70 save money for the
railroads?
In every operation of doing work there
are two Notwithstanding and perform
ance The planning consists in, say, ma
chine shop work. Of selecting the machine
In which the work Is to he done choosing
the tool to use in the machine, deternin-
ing the sequence of operations. the speed
Of the machine, the depth and thickness OF
cut and number of other considerations
Under the usual form of management
planning as we'll as performing. is usually
left 10 the workman or 20 badly over
worked foreman. The work is laid out and
done largely according TO precedent or
tradition-in the way the work or some job
nearly like it was done by some one else
Scientific management separates sharply
men know the full capability OF their ma
chine and are therefore unable 10 plan
their work to the best advantage. Under
scientific management men specially
trained for the purpose plan all work and
issue definite written instructions to the
men for its performance.
The skilled workman then has only to
follow the Instructions in order To dUpli-
cate the results required by the planning
department In its highest form scientific
management provides the stimulus for the
workman to duplicate these results by Civ
ing him rate of pay greater than the
usual rate Of his class when he does the
work in accordance with the time allowed,
and giving him a much lower rate when
he does not accomplish the task as laid
down. It is noteworthy that few men fail
TO obtain the higher pay when they have
been properly instructed.
It should be noted that. although the
workman receives more money in given
period of time, the employer benefits to a
much greater degree The cost I.er unit of
product is less. and, the work being done
quicker the capacity of his factory is in
creased without the expenditure of dollar
for new machinery. These are no idle
dreams They are hard facts based on
experience. Witness the testimony of
Henry NJ Towne of H '. ScheeI. of
Frank B. Gilbreth and other men before /
the Interstate Commerce Commission, and
the articles and editorials IN industrial
Engineering this last summer
Scientific management involves more /
than planning of the work, however. in its /
last analysis. 1t involves a study OF men. (
of materials and Of tools; a standaTdizing I
OF tools and equipment. and an investiga- |
ton of their qualities and capacity. Il in (
wolves motion study, 10 discover what mo- I
tions made by the men are unnecessary /
and therefore wasteful. and rectiication /
Of the conditions which make for useless
motions. I refer you 10 the work OF Gil /
breth. who reduced the motions of a brick /
layer in laying one brick from IS TO s as (
one Of the great examples of what motion +
study viii do-and bricklaying is an art 50 .
old that the bricklayers Of four thousand /
years ago worked almost the same as the /
men of to-day. I personally know Of a
case where the output of a man in a ma
chine shop was quadrupIed by motion
study. and the man was considered a good /
machinist, who used the best methods OF (
his trade.
Summed up III d few lines. scientific /
common sense" 1t requires a man 10 do /
only that work for which he is best fitted /
but requires him 10 do that work at his /
greatest efficiency. It requires that the /
conditions be made right for the greatest .
efficiency of the worker. this including not .
only the tools he works with, but his sur
roundings. his pay and everything else
which affects his work
The world owes debt Of gratitude to
Frederick W. Taylor, the man who re-
duced the principles of management 10 q /
science, and who almost single handed for
quarter of q century worked on in the I
face of opposition and discoursgement
that would have appalled, an ordinary man.
1t is a cause for qualification that Mr.
TayIor's reward has come while he is yet
among US
ROBERT THURSTOE KENT.
Editor Industrial En-iueering''
New York, Dec I, 1910