Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-04-15
SOUTH PARIS MAINE TUESDAY, APRIL IS, 1913
The Efficiency Idea.


fort to lower the cost of production and
increase the act returns from business
Manufacturing plants, department stores
and corporations are expending largr
sums of money in Overhauling their busi-
ness in an effort to save many items oi
expense without impairing the efficiency
of their plants, and thus increasing their
profits. The idea has even extended t."
the national, state and municipal gov
ernmeuts, and committees of investiga-
tion and inquiry are now trying to effec
economies along these lines in govern
mental affairs.
Iu farming the efficiency idea is repre-
sented to a large extent by what We are
coming to know as farm management.
This comparatively new subject ia being
developed very rapidly by agricultural
colleges, the national government and By
some farm papers. The Farm Bureau
is an effort on the part of the community
to carry out this general idea OF more
efficient farm management in q cooper
alive way. In the field Of farm journals
the Tribune Farmer has been a pioneer
in pushing the subject of farm manage
ment to the front.
What is meant by more efficient farm
management or by the efficiency idea ap-
piled to farming? 1t is simply an effort
to get the largest possible net return
from the farm for the effort expended on
it. Efficiency implies that none of the
effort expended in production is wasted.
Ii means that labor aud capital are util-
lied as fully as possible. 1t means such
careful planning of the work to be done
and such thorough execution OF these
plans that the maximum return is Sc
cured.
An effort to increase efficiency i'm
plies that the business, such as manufac-
turing, transportation or farming, is not
now as efficient as 1t might be. This is
true in the great majority of cases. Most
Of US are not doing our work as we'll as
we might do it. Most of US are not ex-
pending our energy and our money in
the way which will bring US the largest
possible returns. Perhaps it is not pos
sipls to expend our effort aud our money
10 such a way that nothing will be vast
ed, but certainly an effort to come as
near doing this as possible is commend
able.
In his account of his observations of
European agriculture Henry A. Wallace,
editor of "Wsllace's Farmer" gives
good illustration of what is meant by
efficiency when he says:
"rhe business Of the farmer is to put
the energy of the suns rays into forms
which animals or human beings can use.
The average Iowa farmer is six times as
successful in his efforts to catch the pow
or of the suns rays as the average Bava-
rian farmer, but the average acre of Iowa
is only about oue-seventh as successful
in supporting those who live on it,"
In some respects the business OF farm
ing is unique. 1t differs from practically
ali other lines of business iu that the
farm affords home as we'll as place OF
business for the worker. 1t is said by
great many critics Of the application OF
the efficiency idea to farming that u Is
an attempt to commercialize farm life,
and that il business on the farm were
made as efficient as some of the preach
ers of this doctrine would have it made
the farm would be appreciably injured
as home.
We do not think that the efficiency
idea as applied to farming should inter
fere in any way with the farm as home.
Efficiency is a good rather than bad
quality. 1t is opposed to and, if proper
ly carried out, will practically eliminate
such undesirable qualities as inertia, too
great conservatism, laziness, carelessness
and a general lack of careful study and
observation of various phases of the
farm business. If it does this we do not
see how efficiency can interfere with the
farm as home.
We have again and and again empha-
sized iu the Tribune Farmer our belief
that profit is the fundamental thing in
farming. If efficiency helps to increase
the profit from the business of farming,
then it provides iu greater abundance
the means for making the home CON-
Portable and for the taking of certain
amount of recreation or vacation which
is necessary to the greatest enjoyment OF
life. and this is well worth while. We
believe that it will pay many farmers to
examine their business with the idea OF
increasing the efficiency with which 1t is
carried on.
To do this means careful planning. 1t
means looking ahead and providing
against every possible contingency which
is likely to interfere with profitable pro-
duction. 1t means that those plans
must be made which in our best judg-
ment will give the largest returns, and
then it means that these plans must be
carried out as nearly as it is possible to
carry them out.-Tribune Farmer.