Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-23
OF INDUSTRIAL HUMAN1gn
Frederick Wnsow Taylor the Leading Pioneer in the sous
management Learned in the School of Experience That
Efficiency and Cooperation Are One
By SAMUEL HARRIS

| TIME man who did more than anybody else
i to reduce the problem of management to
an exact science was Frederick Winslow
Taylor who died in this city on Sunday at
the age of 80. Scientific management" a
system Of conducting industrial plants, was
! evolved by a successful man in a successful
business. Mr. Taylor learned and taught it
| in tho school of experience" His the
| work of a pioneer.
| In 1873 Mr.. Taylor entered the employ of
the Midvale Steel Company. He speedily rose
from mechanic to the position of gang fore
man. He knew that the men were not doing
all they could, for he had been one among
them. The reason he knew also. 1t seemed
to them that nothing was to be gained He
tried to drive them, and they even threatened
him with personal violence if he persisted in
his efforts. 1t was useless to break in new
men-they were won away from him. 1t was
under these conditions that he worked out
his ideas of what since has become known
scientific management" and given him
the title of philosopher and benefactor. For
so years the Taylor philosophy has been
practiced at the Midvale works, and during
that period there has not been a single strike.
For Mr. Taylors purpose and achievement
to make the interests of men and man
agement interdependent,
The First Experiments
His early experiments and studies have
been described as follows: Carried out with
, stop watch and measuring stick, they showed
among other things that a workman should
be under load only a certain period of the
time depending upon the work., and should
be free from load part of the time. Return
ing to the handlers of pig iron, it was found
that the best of the men could work without
harmful fatigue if they were under load 40
per cont, Of the time. and free from load SO
per cent. of the time. In a ten-hour working
day there are 600 mnutes-therefore, the man |
could be under load .42x6O0, or 252 minutes |
The distance from the pile of iron to the car |
was SO feet, and the stop watch showed that
the men covered this distance with load in
the average time of 21S minutes. In 252 min
utes they would make 522 divided by 21S, or
1856 trips. The pigs averaged 92 pounds each,
so that 92X1156 equaled 1O6,352 pounds, or over
Al long tons were carried in day.
'These facts were determined while the
men We're at work, and while they were load
ing but 12h tons Mr.. Taylor first figured
out that they could load 471s tons, and this
figure was set the standard With men
fitted physically and temperamentally for the
work, instructed as to how the work should
be done, and rewarded by increased pay, the
tonnage thus scientifically determined be-
Many people have an erroneous idea that
scientific management" consists of slide
rules. instruction cards. eight sets of shoveIs
and the like. On the contrary, the appu
ances are of subordinate Importance. The
principal thing is TO get accurate informa
tlon and continuously TO apply IT, In accom-
plishing this, the selection and training OF
men, the systematic planning of how work
shal De done In what time and by whom,
and the bonus system of wages have been
found necessary, There is little mystery
about the matter, and no assumption of cure
all attributes. Mr., Taylor gave under four
heads the steps In the practice of scientific
First. Determine accurately by scIen+ieo
analysis the elements OF each piece of worl,
md decide how it can best be done.
Second Select men who are fitted for tbs
~ork-eYen for the lowest kinds-and train
them in the best way of doing that task
Third, BY adequate supervision and a svs-
-em OF payment which gives the men an in 9
'entive make sure that the men practice tba
pest methods all the time
Fourth. Divide the work between the man
lgement and the men so that the MANAGE
nent does all the work which 1t can do
'etter than the men.
Inducement to Efficiency
The third principle is made effective bv tbe
bonus system Of Payment MIR. Tavlor
Who, after successfully developing his efi-
ieney ideas at Mldvale, was asked 10 i,,ra
luce scientific management" into the WORKS
I the Bethlehem Steel Company. found tbat
ne men there were receiving 1l5 a dav for
hoyeling He allowed that rate to stand
man came TO the Bethlehem works in
ne morning ana merely shoyeled TIN the
thistle blew 10 tue evening be got his Il IA
3 usual Z. however he had proated b.