Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-09
Men Point Out Alleged Danger in
Taylor Working System.
CARE SHOULD BE FOREMOST
Lives of Men In United States Navy
May Be Jsopardized if Work
Is Hurried.

las sent a ietler OF provost To tSSlstdHL
Secretary of the Navy Winthrop, and
Meeting of representatives of the ma
hinists of the various navy yards and
rsenals in the country will he held at
Rock Island, Ill, September Is. to lay
'lans opposing thu adoption OF any sys-
en-.
At a meeting of the Metal Trades Coun-
ii of the Washington navy yard last
light at Naval Lodge Hall several ad
lresses We're made in protest of the pro-
'osed inauguration of the Taylor syS
EN- or any similar system OF work Ii
vas contended that the adoption of the
Taylor system would tend to
lestroy the present cooperative system
low existing among the employees of the
shops.
resolution was unanimously adopted
requesting Assistant Secretary of the
Navy Winthrop to abandon any system
hat might tend to destroy the present
zeal and cooperation of the employees of
he Washington navy yard.
Says System Endangers Lives.
District Lodge of the international Asso-
iation of Machinists of Government En-
ployes. declared today that the Taylor
system is topheavy.
He stated that there is also no humane
in the proposed system, and
hat it should not be adopted, in that the
ives of the enlisted men of the United
States Navy depend upon the perfect
y workmanship OF the men now employed
n the various navy Yards.
In a communication to Mr.. Winthrop, a
termed a respectful and emphatic pro-
test against the introduction Of the So
called efficiency system, better known as
the Taylor SYSTEM, a number of objec-
tlonS are made.
Some of the features objected to are:
Some of the Objections.
"The replacing Of the skilled mechanic
by the laborer and the consequent lower
ing of wages to a little better than la
borer's wages.
The relentless speeding up of work
men to the extent that only a small per
centage of Workmen are able to stand
the pace.
The use of the stop-watch in ascer-
tanning unit times
The system of promotion which seems
to be based on the contest principles. the
man who has the least regard for his fell
-
THE bonus and differential rate sys-
tens for fixing compensation, and the
piece work system. with Mr.. Taylor 5
methods for aScertaining what shall con-
stitute a days work.
The system of discipline advocated
which starts with Furnishing the most
1agrant of offenses, principally those
against other WOrkmen, which increases
he number of acts to be regarded as
)HenseS until the required submission on
tlN.,t "A
he factor of safety in human nature is
cached.
The principle that workmen must be
lealt with individually and not in masses,
,r through committees, that ii is no con-
,ern of one workman what happens to
another
Shops to Run at Profit.
It is contended by the machinists that
the leading idea which Enthusiastically
,revades in Mr.. Taylor's system is the
me in which it is stated ''all employees
should bear in mind that each shop ex-
sts first, last and all the time for the
purpose of paying dividends to its own
ars.'
In the protest to Mr.. Winthrop il is
that the above complete elimi-
nation of all consideration for the well
fare of the employees. Subjugated to that
IF profits for the manufacturer seems to
De the fundamental principle of the sys-
EN-. This seems to be the principle which
,ha ped the leading features of the sys-
EN-, and without any effort on the part
# the management the workmen, through
he system. would work out their own
destruction.
1t is said that by the Taylor sys-
EN- one man out of eight could be taken
o iiX the rate of speed for shop where
is the other seven would possibly not be
BILE to maintain the speed of this man
md would be out of employment
The use of a stop watch is also
strongly protested against by the ma
.hinists. The employees say they be-
ieve the ordinary man is entitled to an
opportunity to make living and that
he government should not set the ex-
ample of eliminating him by using the
maximum rate of speed to regulate the
standard of efficiency.
Support Economy Idea.
While the machinists say they believe
n all progressive methods and that
conomy is requisite in government shops.
hey fail to see the necessity of intro
lucing a system embodying such ''dras-
ic measures and advocating undemo-
ratio principles. as follows:
The ONerWOrklnS and enSldFlng OF eill-
,loyes.
The elimination of the skilled me-
,hanic.
.'rhe tremendous unemployed problem
which will be caused by the elimination
IF workmen who cannot attain the maxi
mum of efficiency.
The evil of denying employees voice
n determining the condition under which
hey are to work. and the manufacturers
assuming the right of doing his own
business in his own way. irrespec
i've of the right of the employees
They declare this state of affairs has
-esulted in the ''horrible labor condition
existing in the steel industries of Penn
;ylyania, where the maximum of en-
iurance is the test.
1t is declared by the machinists that
any system whose fundamental basis
depends on Mr.. Taylor's stop-watch
heory of ascertaining the amount Of
work workman should do per day,
inning the best man when he is doing
lis best and the giving Of extra
inancial inducements while he is being
imed to accelerate his speed. which all
yorkmen must attain in order to be
Employed is inhuman and unjust. and
is adoption can be followed only by
Iiscontent and serious labor troubles"
System Has Been Discarded.
The machinists in their letter of pro-
est point out that after several years
# unsuccessful experiments several of
he large manufacturing concerns of the
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