The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-10-17

time get a hearing in that big forum
of the American press to which,, while
the discussion is novel, are admitted
pleaders pro and con. Whether the
live subject in the public eye relates
10 politics, economics, ethics, or me-
chanics, the spectators the great
public) AXE up with it awhile, per-
nit the orators to have their say on
il. and then turn their attention to the
next film" However, with respect
to any one of the causes thus brought
forward, there is usually a part Of the
great mass directly interested. This,
a group Of itself, continues to study
its particular subject after the first
furry over it, and. subdividing in the
debate, sets to work the one section
TO promote and the other to defeat
an ADVANCE of the disputed idea. Fin
ally, society adopts the idea or it's
principle, in part or as a whole, in
accordance with what in it is sound
and useful. or else, persisting in look
inc upon it as a dead issue, or j past
fashion, stands impervious.
Efficiency has quickly dropped
off quite to the limits Of group dis
cussion. Already the body Of spe3ta-
tors in the big auditorium demand
for the arena fresh thrillers. new
voices, novel acts, or show themselves
eager for a sight of the grand old
gladiators performing "time-honored
plays, especially the political.
But, for it's brief hour, Efficiency"
had a great run. It was unexpectedly
set out on the stage in the national
coliseum in a single day. A very dis
tinguished nd amiable lover Of nan
kind, who temporarily obtained place
at the megapnone, proclaimed that
ne knew how the nation could save a
million dollars a day in but one
branch of it's multifarious concerns.
That startling announcement was SUI
fcient to cause the mighty audience
to demand a demonstration. IT is
true a goodly number Of h specta-
tors had already seer the unexpect-
edly heralded Industrial playlet in y
freak side-show, were familiar with
its exaggerations on the boards. and
more than suspected it's true purpose.
In its "try-Out' on a large scale,
which followed, it's original managers
were joined by many volunteer coad-
tutors. not wholly welcome to them,
not recognized by them as staunch1y
orthodox, and who, perhaps. distorted
their plot or misapplied or magnifed
its moral.
Quite within the expectations OF
reason, the great public soon had be-
fore it volumes Of propositions 70 re-
form, readjuSt, and re-luDricate the
wheels which run any and all Of our
social institutions-the law-making
mills, the courts, the professions. the
administrations Of city, State, and ma
ton. Before long, little old-fashloned
points in efficiency gave way before
comprehensive theories for attaining
universal perfection. What was mere
shop management to the readJust-
ment Of all h systems Of construc-
ton n transportation? What was
mere good housekeeping to the sci
ence Of city planning? What petty
individual thrift to collective coop
GRAFTON? What ordinary parental du-
ties to r~ace-elevating eugenics?
1T was thus the fate Of pure and
SIMPLE Efficiency to be sWamped In
d stream Of fact and fiction itself had
started running. When Mr.. Stimson,
chief engineer Of the Universal Audit
Company of New York. before a Con-
gfesSlonal committee Investigating
the subject, s~lightingly referred to
the Taylor system" Of scientific man
agement as only one little bit of de-
tail of the whole subject Of indus
trial efficiency" the country appar-
enty deemed him hardly n more
absurd than Mr.. Taylor. When MI.
~brandeis, speaking to the great cap
talns Of the railway interests, told
them he had experts at command
Wiling to show them, in their mex
peftness, the way to save yearly nun
dreds Of millions, the small subject or
s1op economics dropped down beyond
the horizon. When efficiency eng1-
neers-in business as individuals
lrms, and corpOrations-started up
all over the land, with suggestions for
legerdemain in every mode of human
procedure, the Voluminous eNtolIlng
OF Mr.. Taylor and his system Of sci
entific management" by his write
up journalists seemed a waste OF
printers ink.
Certainly it is true that at many
points our civilization is but halt
baked. Nothing. yet, goes just right.
Perfection is far off. Draw close to
any one of the Observation-Disclosures
Tor instance-and you find a conlu-
sion Of critics voices crying chaos.
Medicine has a dozen variant schools'
surely most of them must teach more
or less error. Supreme ourts DIVIDE