The Washington herald., 1921-08-17

INDUSTRIAL WASTE.
The previous articles that hav.
appeared In this column for the last
five days have told Of the sources
Of waste that are pointed out in the
report Of the committee on the ell
inination OF waste In industry OF the
Federated American EngineerinE
Societies.
This concluding article briefly
SUMMARIZES what. In the opinion OF
the engineers. can be done about
, the situation.
Management, labor, owners. ths
public. trade associations, the GOV
eminent. and the engineers all hav.
responsibility and opportunity in
eliminating waste
REsPoNsIRuLITIES OF
MANAGEMENT.
Planning and control shouId La
adopted as fundamentals OF GOOD
4 management" the report states in
POINTING out the responsibility OF
management. For the most part
they have not as yet penetrated the
mass Of American INDUSTRY"
Managerial control. when prom
erly planned. extends its influence
into every activity Of an Industrial
Organization and plant. reaching
materials. design, equipment, per-
sonnet, production. costs and sales
policies and co-ordinAtinE these
Factors TO common objective.
Conscious production control tends
TO reduce or eliminate waste by
shortening the total time Of produc-
ton.
Productive capacity should he
conservstlvely based upon a CAREFUL
study Of normal demand. There
should be the same coordination or
the purchasing function and careful
control Of material purchased and
not yet received as Is given TO ma
terial already in the plant The|
practice Of cancellation ~ orders
between manufacturer and mill and
between manufacturer anE customer
should be eliminated and there
should be a curtailment OF the
privilege Of returning goods ordered'
and received. Production schedules
should be based o. q carefully
formulated sales policy determined
from an intensive study OF mar
! kets. thus stabiIiEIng production
and overcoming the pernicious ef-I
feet OF seasonal manufacturing.
Industrial research should be
consistently carried on, both in the
individual plant and by associations
/ The success OF research laboratories
conducted by a few large firms and
trade associations is well known.
RESPONSIBILITIES
OF LABOR.
In dischsrginG its responsibility
Tor eliminating waste in industry,
. labor should cooperate to Increase
production. the report declares.
The need for facts instead OF
{ opinions stands out everywhere in
the assay Of waste from Intentional
restrictions Of output All con-
cerned need to remember that
science is an ally and not an enemy.
asd that no policy can be soundiy
based which ignores economic prin-
ciples.
Ignorance OF these principles lies
AT the root Of most Of labor's re-
strlctlon OF output. The engineers
who made the field assays unite in
pointing out that this attitude Is
beginning to change. Labor organI-
cations have an opportunity today
which may not soon occur again TO
draft for themselves a new bill Of
rights and responsibilities. Nol
service which they can render can
be socially more valUa bic than that
OF studying the needs OF the in
dustries in which they earn a live
lihood. and allying themselves with
the techniCians who serve with them
to increase production. which will
inure to the ultimate benefit Of all.
Labor should cooperate for and
even demand the determination Of
and use Of performance standards.
Labor should change its rules re-
gardinC restriction Of output, un-
reasonable jurisdictional classifca-
uons and wasteful methods Of work
thereby removing some sources OF
waste. Labor is responsible no les,
than management for improving the
health OF the workers and for pre-
venting accidents in industry"
RESPONSIBILITIES
OF OWNERS.
The owners OF industry. through
the banking function or otherwise,
share in the responsibility for elimi-
mating waste in industry" the re-
port says. They have the dut.-
particularly OF assisting in STABILIZE
lag production. To carry out such
a policy is particularly the bankers
interest"
RESPONSIBILITIES
I OF THE PI HLIC.
The public comprises all EroupF.
| and the pUblic's responsibility Tor
Ell minatinC waste is large" the re-
port points out. a campaign to in
crease the productivity Of industry
cannot be conducted without wide
spread interest and support.
In certain industries the Consum-