Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-07-29
MAVAG;|E|'l||NIE i in
SHOPS BLAMED
FOR BlCLOSS'
Idle Men and Machinery
Costs Country Billion in . .
Metal Industry. d
Manufacturers Can Hasten
Return to Normal Condi-
tions, Report Says.

New York, July %29.-Idle men and
machinery are causing loss of nearly
a billion dollars a year in the metal
trades industry, says a report issued
ton of waste In industry Of the
American engineering council This
estimate does not include the value
Of materials that would be utilized If
productivity were increased.
Instability of labor employment and
faulty management, the COMMITTEES
said. are major causes of waste in the
Industry, which Is the largest manu-
featuring industry in the United States,
both in number of employees and value
of products. ,7.,.l @
Study is Urged.
The average waste due to avoidable
labor turn-over in the metal industry
Is computed at $100,000,000. Modern
study Of why men quit are urged.
1--WE have 100000 unnecessary
separations, the equivalent of 2,o00,-
900 workers annually separated and
rehired," says the report. Present
industrial conditions in the United
States and abroad are declared seri-
ously to have affected the metal trades
industry, which as q whole. is oper-
attng atonly about 50 Per esnt,of nor
- ,'
: manufacturers, the report adds
"can ,und oubtedly hasten return to
normal conditions by producing goods
as economically as possible 90 as to
make selling prices low enough to at
tract buyers;
Employers to Blame.
There are nearly 100000 people
engaged in the metal trades industry
and an enormous increase in total
production is possible. It Is estimated
that at least about 80 per cent of the
responsibility for Waste ar non-pro-
ductjon rests with the management;
namely with the managers and execu-
tives In the plants. HI 5s;ssa:, Z
The report says that with the ex-
ception of the shipbuil6i irg branch Of
this industry, instability sof employ
ment resulting from strikes and lock-
outs have not been as serious in the
metal trades as IN some other indus
tries. Z. tg g
San open. Interchange Of IDEAS and
business results BY manaIgsments q e, = II
dustry ana IN other Findustri ilouid
.ssaass .ssa 8 anu 4 sEsl So sshSs
carried on through definite channels,
such Interchange mig bit, ieasily result
in. a com bined study Of the possibili-
LeS OF the 1utures ana the. avoidance
tn the years to come, of such ,condi-
tions as we are now facing.
Labor, Big Factor. :
ut is evident that management of
labor must be elevated to a higher
plane, Because labor is the major
factor In most, if not all industries it
should be led by. recognized intelli-
gence rather than by radical agitators
on one hand and stupid reactionaries
Remarkable and very favorable re-
suits. have been secured in labor re-
lations tand in imprpvernen ents. of eff
cheney simply by establishing frank
and open conferences and free inter-
change Of opinions. usually in gen.
uine open shops (shops in which no
prejudice or discrimination is allowed
to exist either for OF; against men who
do or do not belong to labor organiza-
tions and sometimes by collective bar
gaining and dealing with5a shop COM
mittee to which is delegated all re-
sponsibility for keeping the men to
agreements, fairly made between
management and employees }" SIS
Successful plants have management
system. says the report which con-
cludes:
st will take time to bring the en-
tire industry up to the higher level
During that time some establishments
will probably be eliminated by the
competition of the more advanced;
but in this direction, lies the only hope
of eliminating waste, - y