The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-05

which can be met in no other way than by operating the plants to full capacity, then other industries will in- evitably be favorably infected; for it is reasoned that it is as true today as it ever was since the United States became great producer of steel prod ucts that steel furnishes an excellent barometer of trade.
 Nevertheless Judge Gary does have some apprehensions as he looks further than the next five years. He is re- ported to speak apprehensions only to his intimate friends. He is quoted as having said that the probabilities are strong that the time. is near at hand when perhaps the most serious prob lem for the steel industry to solve will be caused by the relation of efficiency to production. Judge Gary does not refer to the efficiency of the skilled artisans. Some who have talked with him say that he is convinced that the skilled artisans and the foremen and other subordinates who direct the work carried on by the skilled arti- sans are as efficientras it is possible for men to be.
 Recently notwithstanding the pros- perity which has been the experience of the Steel corporation for, the, past four years various evidences have been furnished which caused apprehension that possibly the efficiency of those who direct this and other steel indus tries may show great falling off compared with that which prevails at the present time When the Steel cor poration was organized 32 independent corporations, which as a whole were engaged in all branches of the steel industry. were absorbed by the parent company. In almost every instance the chief executives of these companies were men who had been trained in the steel industry from it's basic point up- ward. While it is true that Judge Gary himself was not thus trainedl nevertheless as receiver of one of the great steel corporations of the west and because of his earlier association with the Federal Steel company he gained great experience and learned much of the actual science and arc of the manufacture and production of steel 4
 THE MASTER STEEL MAKER
 Charles M Schwab. whom Andrew Carnegie called the greatest master of steel manufacturing in the world who began his career in the steel business as an humble artisan, who wore a red shirt and overalls, waS chosen as the first president of the corporation. Mir
 
 the two men who assisted the under writers .in floating the enormous capi- tai stock of the Steel Corporation. $7,500.000 as his commission. And this was the first real capital that came to MT. Schwab's hand. The man who sue ceeded him as president, Mir. Corey, was also trained fronNthe ground floor up iEthe manufacture of steel and the president at this time, Mir. Farrell, had similar training.
 Now these pioneers are somewhat disturbed as they observe that many of the younger generation of executives have not acquired practical knowledge of the steel industry. Yet many Of them are already placed in positions of some executive authority and by and by it may De that all of these po- sitions will be held by men who never stood in front of the blast furnace or aided in converting iron into steel These men seem not to be taking .n- tense interest in or concentrating their minds upon the business of producing steel
 NO MORE SUGGESTIONS
 Some years ago, after the Steel Cor poration was fully established as a highly successful, going concern. it was the custom to invite suggestion from the employees of methods by which improvements could be obtain ed. It often happened that as many as 30 suggestions a month were handed in by employees. Some of these were accepted. and whenever a suggestion was found to be good and worth using then that workman who made the sug- gestion found his name placed upon the honor roll and his pension secured,
 But for a year or two suggestions of this kind have disappeared. One foreman who had made several excel lent suggestions no longer does that and when he was asked why, he TO. piled with some strong language, that it was no longer worth while. Ee handed in sometime ago suggestion which he was sure was excellent. It was passed along perfunctorily to sev-- eral youngsters whose diplomas as graduates of technical schools or fam fly influence had caused them to be employed by the company and these men rejected the suggestion, saying that there were no precedents for it. There was nothing like it in the books and. therefore. it could be of no avail When the skilled artisan learned that his suggestion had thus been treated he said to himself and to his asso- cites: What is the use?'
 Upon excellent authority 1t is now stated that almost all the recent im- provements and inventions which the