The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1921-01-26
THE HAPPY SHIP.


employe a year ago was only the
width of workbench The two could
and did, chat across it,
If the village cobbler had heard two
fellow employers (say the blacksmith
and the storekeeper) discussing the
problem of human relationships in
industry, he would have tapped his
forehead and grinned. His relations
with his workmen were exactly as
human as he and they were. Cobbler
and apprentices lived under the same
roof Blacksmith and his helper ate
their lunch together under the spread
ing chestnut tree in front of the shop.
There was no problem
AS industry has grown complex,
employer and employee have been
forced apart until there is a gulf be-
tween the shop and the office. That
space continues to widen, and of the
many urgent questions which modern
business and modern industry must
face none is more insistent than that
of how to make it human.
AT the head of a present-day con-
Germ there is usually strong person
atty. But between the man who plans
and the men who do the work a whole
hierarchy of managers, chiefs of de-
partments, secretaries, clerks, super
intendents and experts intervene.
If one of the boys" should be
snowbound with the "old man" for
couple of days the chances are that
each would discover that the other
was regular fellow" But accidents
like that seldom happen outside of the
CT lie hn !
dent of company can send his per-
sonality all through the plant is by
those who represent him. There was
tionships in a big New York estab-
lishment, and doctor of ailing bust
ness was asked to make an examina-
ton. After several days in the plant
the diagnosis was filed at the office.
The gist of it was: Lack of good
will"
Impossible" was the comment of
the head. For over year | have
been paying man good salary to
go about and disseminate good will.
Only week ago he went down to the
foundry, presented the bet wishes of
the management to the men, and
brought back vote of thanks"
The "doctor"-specialist in human
relationships, he is called-asked to
see this envoy to the foundry. One
look showed what the trouble was.
The secretary of good will' had
diamond ring and wore spats. He
might have been helpful at fox-trot
tea; but sent to men covered with
overalls and grease he was a perfect
example of a nonconductor.
Where good will permeates the
working force of a great concern it is
transmitted continuously by the rep
resentatives of the management who
are on the job day after day as super
intendents and foremen. Nothing
causes greater discomfort than an ar
rogant understrapper who, like a man
on the middle of ladder. is in posi-
ton to lick the boots of those above
and kick the heads of those below
The test of gang boss is not the
number of oaths he uses on those in
his charge, but the degree in which
he encourages good work. Every man
in authority over others should be
asked about IL times year; How
often during the past month have you
commended a man under your"
The job which is most worth having
is one that leads to something better.
If the men realize that the boss work.
ed his way up from the bench, and
that the road is still open, they will
respond amazingly, But whether they
do or not depends on whether the
management believes in promoting
the next man or in filling important
vacancies by bringing in outsider.
The roprietor of publishing COM
pany in the western part of the State
turned up in Boston one day in great
perplexity His foreman had died and
he was anxious to find a competent
man for his place. He called IN
Boston publisher to ask for help.
81 know just the man for you,"l
said his Boston friend "He is in your
town at this moment, and. so il hap
pens, in your business. He is your
own assistant foreman
No business which values morale
in its working force can afford to put
strangers over its long-service en-
ployes. Nothing discourages a faith
ful worker more than pegging along
for years, only to have the prize posi-
ton snatched away from him. To do !
his best man should have some de-