Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-04
NO TAVENNER BILL
LOBBY, He ASSERTS
W: B. Richards, Efficiency En-
gineer, Denies Underground
Opposition to Measure.
SAYS THE STOP WATCH
IS Benefit TO WORKERS
Never Knew Any One to Break
Down Under the Speeding Up
System.


was made plain today by VIZ B. Rich
ards of New York. an efficiency en-
gineer, and secretary of the engineers
committee of ten. Mr.. Richards testi-
fed today before the committee. under
a brisk cross-examination. much of the
time from Representatives London of
New York. Smith of Michigan and
Nolan of California. and also. In an in
terview with a Star reported, quoted
Thomas A. Edison. the dean of Amer
lean inventors" as saying the Taven-
ner bill lis an attempt to prevent
efficiency and would be disastrous to
labor and the public"
Mr.. Richards brought out clearly his
idea that the stop watch. against which
labor organizations have batt!ed siren
uously. is but small part of the new
methods of scientific management In
his interview later he said:
Penalty on Efficiency.
II think it may be safely said that in
the opinion of the engineering profess
sion and the manufacturing world the
Tavenner bill could be properly en-
titled "A bill to penalize efficiency in
the public service 1t undertakes to
make a criminal of every officer of the
United States who uses in a public
establishment those methods which in
thousands of private plants and in the
arsenals controlled by the War Depart
ment have demonstrated over a period
of years their unQuestioned capacity
at once to decrease the cost of produc-
ton and increase the wages of en-
ployes. AS Thomas Edison. the dean of
American inventors. says Of the meas
N to "a
cheney and would be disastrous to labor
and the public
Yet IL Congress can be persuaded
to make it a crime to decrease at once
the public tax burden and increase
the earnings of government workers
by premium rewards for superior
merit. the engineer and manufactures
who employs the same method in pri-
vate establishments will likewise be-
come q criminal in the opinion of the
public.
Purpose Of Committee.
1T is to call the attention of Con-
gress and. the public to this vicious
proposal to condemn efficiency and
penalize progress that committee of
ten was spontaneously organized in
the engineering profession to spread
information of the nature and conse-
public and our legislators. To that
end our committee has msDe a public
appeal for funds to prepare and dis
tribute educational Literature and per-
nit the presentation of our judgment
and evidence to the committees and
members of Congress. that they may
not be unadvised as to the meaning OF
this effort to make criminals of pub
lie officers who endeavor to better the
public service by employing the most
I-..
AesS world.
''If this appeal to our fellow citizens
and to our lawmakers to prevent the
condemnation of the most progressive
knowledge and skill by statute is rep
rehensible, then we confess to no prop
our duties as American citizens"
The suggestion of a lobby was
made to the committee recently by
Representative Tavenner. who pre-
from Mr.. Richards. Representative
Tavenner said afterward he had not in
tended to make SO deep an impression.
Partnerships for Workers.
In his opening statement before the
committee on labor, Mr.. Richards said
that he had been an adviser to the Taft
economy commission.
n,
is to legislate against a workman
forming a partnership connection with
his work. To give a man a reward is a
practical partnership. one that he car
within reason control. 1t is a fallacy
to believe that a bonus plan for a work
man goads him beyond his powers. 1t
does not drive him. In fact. he can be
driven harder under the straight daily
wage system" He said that he did not
especially recommend the Taylor sys-
tenn of scientific management. but that
there is a broad new science in shop
management which has for it's end the
increase of the output of factory or
shop. He said he had never seen men
breaking down under it.
Mr. Richards had a spirited debate as
to the general effect upon mankind at
ment goes its limit Representative
London, the one socialist representative
in the House, took the view that the
human family would suffer, while Mr.
Richards held strictly to the tenet that
the workman's family would be the
gainer-if the bread winner had the
benefit of a scientiffc, shop management
system where he received a bonus for
extra work done. The.socialist congress
man took the extreme case of a factory
where scientific management would
raise the efficiency of workmen SO high
that of thousand men only 400 were
needed to do the work after the scien-
sific management had been applied:
Il Gont Expect the United States to
employ thousand men to do the work
of 4OO," replied Mr.. Richards; "and,
Furthermore, men don't have the right
feeling about working for a concern
on the down grade"
. Necessity for stop-Watch.
In a colloquy with Representative
Smith of Michigan Mr.. Richards said
that the stop watch is a necessary ele-
ment in obtaining accurate data on the
cost of production. and that no shop
can do business without knowing its
costs.
.'The stop watch does not increase
he said several times; sit
merely is a small part of cost sys-
tenn"
lei between the workman under a sci
entific management system and an
oyerworked horse. Mr.. Richards re-
turned with the statement that the
bonus and premium systems gave work
men more money for luxuries and made
life easier for them.
.It Is not necessary" he said. ''to
hold a watch on a man to give him
a premium. but it Is necessary to de-
~ u