The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-03
United States Govern
ment Endorses "Scien-
tific Management. {"
RESULTS PROVED
BY EXPERIMENTS
Secretary of War Stimson Con.
WINGED by Report of Chief of
Ordnance That Method Will
Decrease Cost of Produc-
ton and Better Work
ingmen's Conditions.

Washington. November 2.-"Scienti-
nc shop management to-day received
tho Endorsement of the United States
government Secretary OF War slim
son is convinced OF Its desirability
Rnd advantages, basing his convictions,
on report made by Brlgadicr- General
William Crozicr. CHIEF OF ordnance.
made public to-day. The secretary is
satisfied that its introduction into gov
ernment workshops would work no
hardships to labor.
III means bettcrmen, and in no
wise an impairment of the conditions
OF labor. he declared in a statement
or Unusual Import.
The report has been awaited by or
ganized labor and the employers or
labor with much interest II is gem
orally believed that the question Will
be one that VIII hgure largely in the
coming national political campaign,
Rnd tor TINS reason especially uvneral
SfozIcrs innings are resarued as BE-
iHs OF UNUSUAL import, as are the COM
ments oil secretary sumson
AS set forth IN Getaii IN the state
ment winch ! have made pupuc To-
day" says the secretary the War
Department mas gwen cousiocruuie at
tenlion 10 the utIllzatIon OF the Inu-
thous OF scientinc mana Il ement IN tne
various arseIiul SHOPS oI tue govern
meHt The Watertown arsenal ma.
Deem used praciicaiiy as an experiment.
station with u view 10 trying out the
theory before applying 1t generally.
me results thus lar ace hgnIy sratt-
Tying anu tuii OF promise. There mas
been an unoouDteu increase In the
ehie!ency OIL the worKmen at the snon
,ahn n.aterin, reuacsion in the cost
OF manufacture. but ut the same ti,nt,
ana TO my mind even OF greu,er I'M
pOrtance, these results nave been OBJ
ta.htd Nitnuut III auyw .sc enuangcr-
ing the interests OF the worklnsmen.
eilHer py. decreasing lneIr pay or re-
curing unpieasaut e&ertion, or speed
Ing up" On the contrary, any in
crease IN the real oinc.ency must IN
ure TO the benefit OF the workingmen.
TO my mind, scient!nc manage
ment can ana deserves 10 prevail oniy.
Wncrc Increased efficiency means lii
creased human efficiency and the work
1nSmens participation in the rewards
resulting from efficiency. a cnange
Tor that KIM OF betlernent IS the oniS
kind OF change when the governments
VIII permit through the installation or
sny scientific mana gement'
Not Yet solved.
In his report. General Crozier de-
clares that the ordnance department,
has been experimenting with the lay.
Tor system OF scicntinc ma mai cement
Tor the past three years. with the re-
suit that much important information
has been collected. But even yet the
problem has not been solved. for his
conclusion Is thus set out:
The department has not reached 81
conclusion as to the extension to
other arsenals OF the part OF the 'Tay-
tor system OF snop management when
aHects the workmen, ana 1t is not In
tended to do so in advance OF further
Trials at the WATERFOWL arsenal but
II seems certain that either by TINS
system or by some other, 1t ought to
be possible to secure better co opera
lion OF the employees among themselves
and between them and the manage
ment than has been had in the past"
me report shows the manner in
which the system was installed at
Watertown. a planning room was
provided which relieved the foreman,
OF a large amount of clerical work
and insured continuous now OF WORK
without cessation or loss of time, as
well as the protection of the materiaI
In stock.
Men were assigned to keep the tools
o. the other workingmen sharpened
auoorers or messengers lstched and
carrled for the n4e"..-pricel ...4,....-
ISIS. who were thereby enabled TO de-
vote their whole attention to Droduc-
tive work, and the plant was kept in
thorouGh order by other men, so that
IL coulo DC orked at its highest efii-
ciency. Experts showed the workmen
just how fast their machines should
run ana how deep their tools should
cut thercpy increasing their efficiency.
Cost Ia Reduced.
Hence, it was possible at Waterfowl
70 reduce materially the cost of manu-
facture. The labor cost of one set of
parts for twelve-inch mortar car
rage was cut from $3.50 to s275, and
corresponding reductions were made In
other work. All this WIS done, tho
report sets forth without affecting the
pay of the employees or requiring rs-
pecial eXertlon by them.
General Crozier lays stress upon the
claim that while further marked
economies to the government Will re-
suit the adoption of the system viii
be accompanied by increased pay and
conditions generally satisfactory to the
employees. as demonstrated by actual
experience In shops In which the sys-
ee&n had been operated.
Strictly stated. the chief features of
tho system contemplate offering addi-
tional pay to workmen for work per-
formed In the manner and sequence So
lected from the results Of careful
study and completed within the time
which that study indicates as sufIicient
Tor the purpose. The saving In time
results, aside from any increased eff
cienoy of machines. chiefly from the
erect Of the instructions given the