Evening star., 1917-03-04


it is interesting to know
Sunn1ies for something of how Uncle
=, Sam manufactures his
tne amy supplies for the army.
and the conditions under which this IL
done.
The supplies Of the army are in part
purchased in the open market and under
contract and in part manufactured in
government arsenals. The question of the
relation Of the government as employer
and its employees in these arsenals is a
part of the general labor question OF the
country. The theory which the War De-
partment attempts to follow is, ac-
cording to officials. in general terms.
model employer. and to a large extent
this Is said to be successfully applied
In the matter of hours OF labor. san
itary conditions, holidays and sick
leave there is, perhaps, no better in
dustrial condition in the United States
than that maintained by the War De-
partment in these industrial plants.
The question Of wages and the basis
OF wages is, however, under more or
less constant discussion Roughly
speaking, the department undertakes
to establish wage rates by determine
ton of the prevailing rate OF wages In
similar establishments within the dis
trict in which the particular arsenal ID
located, and it uses the bureau OF labor
statistics of the Department OF Labor
in selecting the territory which shall
comprise the district and in determ1n-
ing the rates of wages for similar
work. The result is that the employees
of the government receive the prevail
ing rate of wage in their respective oc-
cupations. but usually for a DAY OF
shorter hours than is observed IN the
private Industries from which the IN
formation is drawn, and clearly LOT
work done under conditions much more
favorable to the public employe than to
the private employe. The dlf1lculty IN
this whole matter. however, according
to experts of the department. arises
from the use of more or less aro1trary
methods for piecework and day wage
determination. Many efforts have peen
made to introduce just principles INTO
this delicate determination.
1t seems without doubt, say the or
ficers, that an efficiency system prop
erly constructed and justly applied IS
fairer alike to the government and to
the employe than any more haphazara q
method. The objection of organized
labor is not unnatural; IT proceeds
from the belief that all efficiency sye.
systems and that their logical opera
tfon increases the output without q
corresponding increase of wage rms,
however. must, of course, be due 10
the method of applying the system
rather than to the system itself. and:
after examining the results obtained
in government arsenals. where the
system was, in whole or in paf., lol-
lowed, the officers have found and oeen
persuaded that no such evil effects
were permitted to occur. How far the
action of Congress was dictated by
belief that efficiency systems inevitably
tended to the enervatfon OF the en-
ploye the officers. of course. have no
way of knowing, nor are they 1amiaas r
with the results obtained in private
establishments, but they say that un-
der the law as 1t now is the depart
ment is prohibited from using time
studies and premiums. and is, there
fore, deprived of the means OF acquir-
ing the sort of knowledge without
which just wage regulation Is I'M
possible. or of offering inducements 70
zeal and good workmanship, which, II
offered in moderation. 1t is believed.
would constitute a just recognition OF
individual skill and energy. 1t IS the
general belief of the experts of the
department that most Of the difhculties
which have been felt to inhere In
that the employe has no voice nor
part either in the making or applica-
tion of the systems. The department,
uphappily. is prevented by eXlstlng
legislation from any experiments. Were
it otherwise, 1t is the opinion of those
who nave followed these matters that
a method fair to both the government
and the employees could be worked out
for the determination of the skill and
zeal among operatives. which would at
the same time protect the government
as employer, and, while conserving the
strength and energy of the employees,
distribute justly among them the re-
wards of faithful service.