The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-21

Is me opinion OF Mr.. Morton Chase
Iultle who has just returned to Bos-
.on alter more than q year of service
rs production manager for the L S
emergency, Fleet corporation. Mr.. Tut
te pases ms Judgment on recent inves-
aisatlons OF large construction enter
prises from New England to Florida.
supplemented by studies carried ont
uhuer his direction by a construction
company in Boston, of which he il
general manager. This indicated that
Increased efficiency Of labor is bring
rmS oo"h costs even while wages re-
main at existing attitudes.
I'm the course of viewing numerous
Undertakings more or less closely as
soclated with the interests Of the gov
eminent, says Mr.. Tuttle, II have been
lately impressed to find the statement
commonly made that cost of operation
Was beginning to show noticeable de-
et.ne, ANA this. almost without ex-
Ceptlon was attributed to increased eff
ilclency OF the labor force, due in part
70 the opportunity for wedding out the
leSs dependable workers, in part to the
growing desire Of all members Of the
ioree to retain their jobs.
owing to inadequate or otherwise
unsatisfactory cost studies maintained
IN connection with most Of these under
taklngs, | found 1t impossible fully TO
check the statement by actual figures.
Accordingly, ! asked my own company
20 make out the cost of any one process
IN an operation continued over a period
or several weeks. That which was
seleoted was a piece OF concrete work.
The costs studied were those for the
common labor employed in this work
from January I TO February 4 of the
present year, inclusive. During the
period the wage scale remained un-
allereo, but the personnel Of the labor
force underwent frequent change, A
graph OF the labor cost of the work
during the period noted shows a sharp
ana almost Underwriting decline from
DAY 10 day. On February 4 these costs
were exactly 80 per cent less per unit
thar, were those IN January l. 1t is
my belief that the experience of my
company is Ny no means Isolated. and
that Nm almost any labor force there
les the opportunity of realizing econo,
mics ranging from 20 to so per cent
without interfering with the wage scale.
This implies, of course, that there
is now increased opportunity for select
ing men according to their suitability
Tor a given task, and in increased Gag
eSness on the part of the men to make
good, The whole country ought soon
10 feel the effect of 1t m general i'm
provement tits a case Of supplanting
~so-called liquidation Of labor by proper
adaptation of labor as a means of Keep
lng ,tne cost OF doing things within
the bounds of utility.
" State Of mind is often as potent a
factor in ultimate labor cost as is the
rate per hour. Anyone experienced in
handling workmen has recognized the
difference In output between cheerful.
capable men, xiou to hold their
places and one who is A little dis
gruntled, and quite conscious that he
can get another job the moment he
drops the present one, Multiply either
case by thousands of individual IN
stances, and | believe that there will
be found, in shifts of mental attitude
the explanation cfAmuch Of the varia-
ton which occurs In unit cost. And
this after all is the element of labor
which directly affects the profits of the
employer"