The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-21
Miss Tarbell Explains Working of the
Stop Watch Method Now Being
Attacked in CONGRESS

one. for there are az many kinds as
there are kinds ot congressman, kinds
Of friends of labor kinds of
economists and KINDS of Christians.
This innocent instrument. which
many clgsscs Of mon bless FOR the help
Il Nas gwen them. is never used, let us
say at the start. in timing the work.
man while al his work" ne AR. Tavern
ncr asserts. II is used purely as the
81 anaiyzing and st~andardizing tasks.
Every one familiar with shop and
factory practice knows how generally
it consists of pitching men and women
into work for which they have had
no preparation. and, II they do no,
make good in n certain time. pitching
them out again. Tho new system
treats this az both stupid II IN
human. I. declares that all kinds Of
labor are worth study.
Going into a shop for the nrst time
the scientific manager begins by a
study of the conditions under which a
man works. His purpose In 70 cut
out at the start all friction. delays Rnd
unnecessary operations. to standardize
materials and methods. A very large
per cent. of tho gaN in esse with
which a task can he performed under
scientific management is due 10 what
the does before he touches
q s~topwatch. and II he does not do
this preliminary work his time studies
will be Of little avail.
NO time study" declares ono guc-
cessful efficiency engineer. which !s
not preceded by these preparations II
of any value. and If time study ever
comes into disrcpute Il will, in my
judgment. be mainly due TO the Ill
considered effort TO use It without
proper preparation"
/, is. then. not until the conditions
are right that the worker Is approached.
~ 'uSNOlii II !" NV SNlViN Wi II
installing the system to ask some one
Of the operatives to allow him TO direc.
ms task for "A certain period. The two
working together, the task Is resolved
into its clements. II is very probable
that never before has the WORKER real
lied that the thing he has heen doin-
and which seemed 80 monotonous anG
embarrassing 10 him was really a COM
pleX performance. capable Of scientific
tr,atment. a thing both important and
dignified.
The task divid.d into ~ elements.
the mans motions. as he perform
zach. are studied. The OBJECT q: this
j. ~ ind the simplest way Of dOinI
leach II not iufr"llrntly happens that
N |s.G1yire these mo'iors Il II discov
movement Involving a severe muscular
strain which can Il. entirely relieved
lN a very little change in the handling
OF MS arm or hand. Again and gan
II j. found that the chief cause of :,
workers fatigue IS the incorrect posi-
tlou in which he mas been sitting or
standing.
Il is in the studying OF the motions
that the stopwatCh comes IN. II shows
the relative time consumed In the dit.
fcrent ways of doing the same thius,
The quickest way, az shown by tn"
stopwatch. IS made the standard for
each particular clement OF the task.
The quickest Way is naturally the
easiest way. as Il Is the one whicn
demands the least expenditure Of
force.
when the proper time FOR doing each
element in the task has been found the
whole Is addod, and this sum, together
with a liberal percentage to allow for
friction. temperament and DELAYS, f.
set as the standard time in which the
Nork should lr done ny an average
worker. not. rs tine bill af'rms, by th.
most capable nan" That would b.
monumental s.IpidItN. the most "a
pahlr man IS hut one in a Thousand
Shops are hllei by average or loss thai
avcricr men, and i j. for them that
time studies are made
Note tNat - far IN. work has been
an Investigation carried on with the
help Of an operative who consented q
The undcrtalInc. When tho result has
been obtained. as explained above. tina,
> whN III" sjordard time has
heen reached the complete analysis
together with distraction for doing the
task IN the time used, are printed on
cards which are ISSUED 10 tho workers
and an instructor, who is a regular ON
Ic,r IN tn" new manHGom'Ht, now eX