The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-11-19

this instinct was strikingly illus
trated in the war. Devotion to
cause, sacrifice for this. cause,
1.eroism if you like, have been
shown by soldiers whose whole
training has been one of monoton-
GUS industry. The place for this
Instinct in industrial life has. al
most been destroyed.
Filthy, the instinct Of loyalty
should be satisfied in industry as
it is in the trenches. The employ
er often misses a great opportunity
to be his workingmen's leader in
stead of their taskmaster. -
SiXthly, the great instinct of
love or home making is q vital one
for society, and the homeless mi:
gratory I. w. w. shows the result
of lives are, deprived Of their basic
satisfaction in this direction as
well as others. 's. :. IT, E,
OF the six mentioned, only the in
stinct Of self-preserXation is fairly well
satisfied by >the majority of workers.
It is not as fully satisfied as it should
be- But in emphasizing this fact we
are apt to thrum, too exclusively on
this one string. Human nature is a
harp of many strings. We must use
the rest Of the octave as well. -
p, The instinct Of workmanship Is all
but lost. So gradual and subtle has
been the. change that we do not recog-
nize it, until We suddenly note the
startling contrast between the ordinary
workman of today and the,iWprkman
Of generation or century, .pgo; ?, The
monotonous nature of theN modern
work; and the, fact that. the workman
does not see his product are the chief
characteristics of modern industry
which cripple the effort that instinct
could Put into the work, and which
are responsible for the dissatisfaction
and unrest.
In former days, the cobbler made a
pair of shoes and watched their pro-
gress, with interest, even after he had
sold them inquiring occasionally Of the
wearer "How are they wearing to-
day." The artist similarly has the
Joy Of self.expression and creation in
his picture. There is no greater fal-
lacy than to put in contrast with these
the purely lnercenary motive of the
workman, He has the same latent
power Of enjoying self-evpression in
his work. He is usually starving for
artistic expression as handicyafts-
main, and consequently hates his task:
CURING Discomfort.
This psychological approach to the
labor problem has been taken by the
late Professor Carleton Parker Of the
University Of Washington, by Robert
B. Wolf, manager Of paper pulp fac
tory. and by others. Wolf has tested
his ideas with excellent success. by a
practical application of them in his
workshops. The results OF his expert
ment are significant. He introduced
into his mill q system of record charts
by which each individual workman
could seee what his contribution to the
product was. Just as in baseball we
are interested in the score, just as in
school students find grades AM incen-
tive, SO the workmen are stimulated
by having and making record. Be-
fore Wolf came to the mill there had
been discomfort. On his arrival as
manager there was strike on, and
pickets surrounding the yards. In
strikes, as in the trenches, there is the
of instincts. The mill
owner told him to get that energy that
was called out by the strike into the
making Of wood pulp.
At first, antagonistic to the innova-
ton, the men soon saw the ''new
game" and, in striving to excel in it,
found constructive outlet for the i'm
pulses that had formerly gone into
picketing. They no longer have to
make trouble to have the feeling Of
something doing" Discomfort gone.
It has sometimes been necessary to
change mans work, but almost new
err to discharge man for inefficiency.
Meanwhile the output has improved
100 per cent in quantity aud greatly
improved in quality as well.
l have sometimes illustrated the
fact that employers need other than
inducements in this way:
Suppose President Wilson had said to
General Pershing before sending him
overseas, snow, Pershing, want this
job that you are going to do for MI.
to be done well. Your pay therefore
will depend on your victories. I'll pay
you extra for every German killed or
taken prisoner. I'll also pay you for
overtime"
Pershing might have replied: "Here
is my resignation, Mr. President. You
have insulted me. OF course, q man
must live but money is the last thing
am thinking of now. want to fight
lor my country, for you, for our ideals,