The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-03-28
1.-THE GOSPEL OF EFFICIENCY"
Business Management and the Man Who
Originated 1t.

Originated 1t.
The leading article in the March
American Magazine is entitled, The
Gospel Of Efficiency" and under this
general head there is presented two ar
ticles, one by Ray Stannard Baker,
called Frederick w. Taylor--Scientst
in Business Management" the other
"The Principles of Scientific Manage
ment," the author Of which Is Mr.. Fred
erick w. Taylor, himself, the man who
originated the new theories of scientific
business management. Ray Stannard
Baker, speaking Of the wonderful pos
sibilities of Mr.. Taylor's theories, when
applied, and of the enthusiasm OF those
who have seen these theories work,
writes:
"For three days last November sat
in the court room of the interstate COM
merce commission at Washington, lis
tening to one Of the most remarkable
cases ever presented before that distin-
gushed body. On one side were ranged
the powerful eastern railroads, present
in the persons OF some half a hundred
attorneys, and pleading permission from
the government to raise their rates. on
the other side were the eastern ship
pers, disputng the demands of the rail
roads Upon the issue hung vast COM
mercial and financial interests.
"The railroads pleaded that they must
have more money from the people to
meet the increased cost of living, es-
pecially the wages of their employees.
The shippers responded by boldly at.
lacking the railroads at the point where
they have always felt strongest-that
of managerial efficiency. The shippers
declared that the railroads were not eff
fciently managed, and that if they
would look within they could save
more money than they now demanded
in increased rates.
"To support this bold response Mr.
| Louis ID. Brandeis, the shippers attor-
ney, placed on the stand eleven wit
nesses who told Of singular new sys-
TEN or method of securing a marvellous
degree of efficiency in all manner Of
! industrial operations. This new sys-
TEN, or philosophy, which they said,
frankly. was revolutionary in its aims,
| they called scientific management.
I "Few of those present had ever even
heard of scientific management or OF
Mr.. Taylor, its originator, and the tes-
/ timonv, at first, awakened a clearly per-
/ ceptible incredibly. Nor was such in
credulity surprising; for it was assert
ed that scientific management would
commonly double or treble the produe-
/ ing capacity of every workman IN a
given industry, it would raise wages, II
would increase profits, it would 60 far
toward solving the labor problem 1t
was even asserted with confidence by
1 one witness, Mr.. Emerson, that, II APP
piled to railroads. scientific management
could be counted upon TO save at least
/ 81 100000 a day.
ITO those who heard this testimony
/ there seemed to first something almost
magical aboute the new idea; but as
one sober. hard headed business man
after another testified as TO what had
| been actually accomplished in his plant,
when it appeared that scientific man
agement had been applied with extra
ordinary results 70 widely diversified IN
dustries, from steel plants TO bleacherles
and cotton mills, and including railroad
repair shops, the spirit Of incredulity
changed to one OF deep interest. An
other factor in carrying conviction to
the hearers was the extraordinary Ter
yor and enthusiasm expressed by every
man who testified Theirs was the firm
faith of apostles; it was a philosophy
which worked, and they had the hg-
ures TO show it,