Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-10-27
INDUSTRIAL EVOLUTION.

Speaking of industrial revolutions
we nearly all are these days-had yo,
noticed how many industries are
Transforming the relations between
the man and the job?
Once new employees were selected
by forcmans finger crooked at the
huskiest guy in the gang around the
Help Wanted" sign, Ii the selection
did not suit the process was re-
peated next morning.
The war put the bunch at the gate
into khaki or munittOn factories ana
it has not come back. Even before
this employers had begun to be more
careful in selecting workers and had
discovered that firing is as expensive
to the employer as it is painful TO the
employe. 1t only needed the disap.
pearance of the job hunters to spread
the lesson to wider circles.
A revolution came in the relations
of men, jobs and industry Hiring an /
firing gave way to selection and train
ing, and much was changed in the
process. Picking men is a different
job from bossing them. So the fore
man was kept at his Job of directing
production and other men and women
employment management.
There began to be Il careful exam
nation OF the human relations in in
dustry. The psychologist is callel
from his laboratory to devise methods
OF testing capacities, abilities and
even the tastes, hobbies and molina
tons of prospective employees, so that
time and money may not be wasted to
fit plugs to holes they We're never
meant to fill. Jobs are also being re-
cut to fit some especially valuable
plugs
Once selected the new employe l.
no longer thrown at the job with the
hope that sufficient rafting and fric-
ton will wear man, job and industry
TO mutual adjustment. Modern indus
try sees in its employees its biggest
asset, but only if it the biggest asset
of the employees
An up-to-date business is a school
for its employees. Nor is the schooling
left to chance. The most expensive
plan for man and industry is to ed i.
cate employees by leaving them TO
pick up" information where they can.
me only thing worse is no training
The industry that condemns employees
to life imprisonment as cogs in a me-
chanical organization has sentenced
itself to the scrap heap. The growing
industry looks upon each new en-
ploye as freshman entered upon
long course Of education. growth and
development.
lhs new attitude created a new
pedagogy, It is not based upon in.
definite cultural training, aimless
and with no definite product. The
new training departments of great fac
tories analyze pupils, methods and
teachers as remorselessly as a labora.
tory scientist analyzes the materials
with which he works. They chart
progress, diagram tasks, run on SEIZED
NE and arrive at a definite educa.
tional destination at a definite time
ana definite cost or know the reason
for the failure. The reflex action of
this industrial pedagogy is beginning
deeply to affect the teaching Of the
schools.
In such an industry each worker
helps plot his plan Of promotion and
Is helped to continuous growth
along with his fellows and the indus.
try. Participation Of such employees
IN Industrial management brings no
danger TO production.
Industrial changes bring CORE
spending social changes. These fund
amental changes in the relations OF
man, job and business are laying the
foundation OF great constructive So
cal changes, and making possible in.
dustrial peace and democracy.