Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-25

impossible, say you II SuCn were inc
case the positions would have been re-
versed. No! MOI say 1, the so-called
"darg" and pull" feature, which is one
of the greatest evils of modern times,
coupled with the "faternal button,
will beat out merit nine times out OF
ten. / have nothing against fraternal
orders; I belong to one myself, but
believe that in all matters pertaining
to a mans getting living, the broth
erhood OF man, with justice for its
password, should be considered, first
of all My former employer now mas
cuerades as a gentleman OF leisure,
financially independent, while toll on.
looking apprehensively toward the flu
ture. Such was my experience under
the contract system. VIII I receive
any better treatment under the Taylor
system?
What is an honest days work? vi
tai question.
What is an honest days pay? An
other vital question.
Both of these questions can be easily
answered by Mr.. Taylor, who is such
a humane, Christian gentleman, that
the only thing that prevents him from
importing Chinese coolies to take our
places IL the Gerry Jaw. Mr.. Taylor
informs US that the only way to find out
the proper amount that laboring men
should do for days work is by timing
them with a stop watch. Care should
be taken to time the best man when he
is doing his best, and advises giving
extra financial inducements to the man
while he IL being timed to make him do
his utmost. Thusly. give man dol
lar an hour to break his back while
you are timing him and then after get
ting his time make all the rest of the
men do the same amount In the same
time for about 1874 cents.
WHAT BECOMES OF WORKER.
What becomes Of the average man
under these conditions? Mr.. Taylor
discovers that in the yards of The Beth.
lehem Steel works the laborers are
moving a certain amount OF pig iron
for S1.f5 per day. The fact that they
they are not American laborers, but
animals that live in a box car along
side of>the railroad tracks and snbsist
on macaroni and italian bread Never
thelees Mr.. Taylor selects the quickest
and strongest one Of the lot and offers
him S1.85 II he will move three times
as much pig iron as he did for $1.15.
Perhaps he whispers in his ear, his ex-
ira inducenent of an easier job a.
higher wages IL he'll keep up the alb
normal speed for a specified time.
However. the laborer performs the
task, and the others. desiring to earn
$1.s5. also make the attempt, and Mr.
Taylor admits that many fail, and that
only a temperate man can stand the
pace, but that those that can are we'll
pleased with the system.
What becomes of the average man
under these conditions? If / persuade
an Esquimaux to part with $500 worth
of skins for a handful of gum-drops,
and, although he Is tickled with the
transaction, does that prove that
have been honest in my part of the
deal? Good God! You can get people
who would gladly take job numbering
men and women at 800 per head.
What is Mr.. Taylor going TO do with
the skilled mechanic? After a brief
investigation We discover that he
doesn't need this element at all, as he
has no use for him. Let us go into
a machine shop run on the Taylor sys
tenn in its entirety. Here are some of
the rules laid down by Mr.. Taylor:
1t Is essential that In running
plant under the Taylor system a larger
number of non-producers should be
arnnlnvad than ,rndar any
tenn. l agree with Mr. Taylor, as the
inferior oalibre of the workmen, moth
ing but laborers and handy men being
used, makes this absolutely necessary.
KEEPING UP PACE.
Instead OF one foreman in each de-
partment four must be used, and great
care must be used In selecting these
four. On the Introduction OF this sys-
tenn, only the most Intellectual, capa-
bic men will do, but after the system
gets to running smoothly, these same
four can be discharged and less capa-
BILE men At lower wages be secured.
Now bring on your handy man or your
laborer. push him TO the limit, keep him
doing the same operation all the time,
and when he reaches the highest posi-
BILE speed that he and the machine. of
which he becomes a part, is able to
sustain, hold him to It and penalize him
whenever he fails to keep the pace.
Don't worry about what becomes of
the machinfst; Mr.. Taylor says che
might become a foreman" Why don't
he say that he might become presi-
dent OF the United States?"
Mr.. Taylor's idea Is TO sub-divide all
trades into separate operations ITO take
the laborer or the handy man and keep
him on one of these operations until
he becomes an expert and then raise