Denver labor bulletin., 1918-12-07
TAKES MONOTONY
OUT OF FACTORY
TRAINING EXPERT JOINS
u. S. LABOR BOARD.
Stillman A. Benway of Boston, Mass,
Is Appointed by the Department of
Labor to Make Factory Work
More Interesting.

Taking the monotony out of factory
life is the object of a Boston man who
has jtist Joined the staff of the train
ing and dilution service of the de-
partment of labor. Stillman A. Ben
way, assistant director of the plan
ming division of that service, has been
asked to do just that work, and hopes
not only to make industrial life pleas
anter for the workingman, but to
make possible for many factory en-
ployes larger return for their work.
Mr. Benway is firm believer in the
idea that routine jobs kill initiative
and stifle individuality, and that the
man who is endlessly doing the same
little process in a factory, day after
day, not only is unlikely to take small
interest in it, but to suffer positive
harm from the deadening effects of a
routine which, at the best, is only tol-
cradle. Moreover, there is the danger
that such workman, once put out of
a job, may be unable to support him.
self unless he can find just such a
job to do elsewhere.
The training and dilution service
plans to correct this condition by maxi
ing it possible for factory hands not
esses, but to gain fairly comprehen-
sive idea of the whole industry in
which they are engaged. In this way
they will not only gain added inter
est in their work and stimulate their
mental powers, Mr.. Benway believes,
but they will be able to change jobs if
occasion demands it, undertaking other
processes. Moreover, their added
knowledge will make them more val
liable to their employers and will very
probably bring considerably more
money into their own pay envelopes
than if they remain mere unsklled
or semi-skilled workers.
Mr.. Benway was born in Boston in
1878, and was graduated from the pub
lie schools there. After taking some
special courses at Tufts College, he
entered the merchant marine, and was
at sea six and half years. He
gained in this time a familiarity with
engineering that led him into posi-
tion at the Charlestown (Boston) navy
yard as a supervisor of machinery,
where he had much to do with plan
ming and estimating. He also became
an organizer for the A. F. of L., and
is now president of Machinists I'm
ion in his home city. He came to
Washington from the Charlestown
navy yard, for which he recently was
instrumental in obtaining 81 400, 900
appropriation which will be used for
nv machine shops, housing 100000
worth of machinery, and for improved
sanitary conditions.
Eve are going to cooperate with
the manufacturers in this work." says
Mr.. Benway, in describing the aims
of the planning division. "The OBJ
{I,a of nj,
skilled and semi-skilled workers and
to give them improved industrial and
mechanical opportunities.
'In the past the training of work
men for skilled trades has been left
| largely to the business man. Now it is
| time that the government took hand
in it:
workman as monotony in his job.
If we can do something toward giving
thes factory employees of the country
more general knowledge Of machine
work, we believe that we shall be do
ing work of real value. 1t is not a
good thing for any workman that he
should be dependent for his livelihood
on one specialized process.
"The reconstruction era is partlc-
ularly fitting time in which to put this
project into effect. ! think that work
men generally feel unnecessary fear
and apprehension regarding after-war
prospects. Reconstruction will not be
so difficult as they expect.
There are going to be jobs for our
men. The artificial initiation of prices
that the war has brought will event
ually come to an end, but the whole
process is going to be gradual, and 1
do not fear any pronounced shocks to
industry"