Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-08-01

In the Army and the Navy we have a visible mobilization of man power
for results in a foreign country. If we could have the same visible mobilization
of man power in III factories for foreign trade it would be a splendid object
lesson for those who manage the factories and make the export goods.
To think of cheapn@s in connection with foreign trade is just IS wrong as
trying t. pin bargain tags on soldiers. Foreign markets are not going to be
VOL or held by cheapened American workers. or bargain methods in American
life AS manufacturers, we have got to lay the foundations for foreign trade
by gong out into our factories and studying labor and costs together. We can
sell or export products at reasonable prices by increasing wages along with
output, and decreasing the losses caused by labor turnover unframed workers.,
spoiled materials and other ineffchncy.
Our experience along these lines in the Emergency Fleet Corporation has
been most encouraging. With the task Of creating new shfpyards in a few
months, and manning them with several hundred thousand workmen, most of
whom came from other trades. we ran into about every difficulty, and problem,
and tangle, that could cOncdvaby arise in management On a large scale 70
effected an adjustment of man power such as is called for now in preparing the
average American factory for the export trade which we will need to keep u
ships employed.
To get production at unheard of speed and in record-breaking quantity
we did something simple and fundamental-and thoroughly human. This was
nothing more nr less than arranging wages SO that, while our workers pro-
duced more for u.s. they were also able to produce more for themselves. We
established the rule that a piecework wage rate set by any shlpbmlder must
stay in force during the period of the var Any manufacturer who set a piece
work rate, and then reduces that rate if he finds that he has made a mistake
against himself is doing a great injustice to his employees, Profhng by our
experience in the shipyards j should like to see Congress pass a Federal law
making it compulsory to keep every piece rate in effect one year. That would
protect workers and furnish a real basis for increased production.
We found ourselves confronted with enormous losses and dangerous de.
lays through lack of skill in special trades needed by workers in the shipyards.
and also through the cost of labor turnover. To find 100 capable shipbulders
who would stick on the job it was necessary to hire and try discharge or lose
1000. Every manufacturer will recognize in these difficulties exactly the diff
curies that he himself faces from day to day, and which put excessive burdens
of cost upon his products In the shipyards We got around those difficulties
by establishing training centers for the various trades re needed, and also by
appealing to the splendid spirit which lies in the average worker. We had to
train everybody, from the boy who heats rves right up-fOremen and super
intendents, and even executives Starting with a little nucleus of skilled
riveters, caulkers, reamers,, carpenters and so forth, we took them out of the
shipyard for a time and taught them how to teach their trades to others. Then
they went back into the yards to teach green recruits not in any school or
class, but on actual ships, while doing the regular days work. Under this
system it was possible to quickly bring green gangs up to about 80 per cent. Of
the efficiency of skilled workmen.. As fast as these men learned their trades,
and acquired high earning power under u protected piece rates. they became
steady enough, and the costly item of labor turnover began to drop. After
that, nothing more vas needed but the appeal for patriotic service. We found
that the shipworkers would not only stick on the job like soldiers. but that in
their inherent spirit as fighters and loyal Americans there vas a enormous
reserve of man power to draw upon-a preserve capable of meeting every de-
mand and every emergency, with power to spare.
That reserve of spirit exists in every American industry. War has brought
it to light where executives IAN see it and to develop this great reserve for
foreign trade is distinctly the executives job.
To fill our merchant ships with goods after the val and hold our own in
foreign markets. we must begin now to mobilize and train u man power in
manufacturing along the same broad lines followed in training for military
purposes. Wake NJ, American business meni Begin to study the man power
in your W organizations. Not with the Prusdan viewpoint, which counts
human life its cheapest raw material in both the factory and the fighting line
but with the American viewpoint of decent living, opportunity, humanity
service.