The Washington herald., 1921-04-11
FALSE THOUGHTS
HURT ENGINEERING,
WALLACE CLAIMS
He Deplores Belief That
There Are No Unsolved
Problems.
MANY ARE SHOWN
Industrial Education One of
Greatest; Foreman and Sub
Foreman Offer Another.


before the American Engineering
Council. l. w. Wallace. executive
secretary Of the organization, dis
cussing ''Unsolved Management
Problems" said in. part:
I'VE are very prone to believe
that there are no unsolved prob
lens of engineering and manage
ment. It is unfortunate that such
4 thought should exist, as 1t re-
duces ambition and curtails inspira-
tion. 1t has been my observation
that there are an unlimited num-
ber Of unsolved problems Of great
magnitude. There are many un-
solved problems in the nature of
engineering and of management
that will require the best of brains.
the greatest OF effort, and the most
astute leadership to cope with. II
they are to be successfully solved.
Industrial Education First.
"one of the great unsolved prob
lens of management is Industrial
education. We have not fully
established the A, B. Cs of this sub
ject. Its need is apparent every
where, and in every group OF any
organization. The workers at the
bench require training.
Perhaps the weakest link in the
industrial organization chain Is
the subforeman and foreman. Then
there is the anchor-the element
that is expected TO tightly grip
the essentials-the Fundamentally
and to hold the industrial unit
safely. the sub-eXecutives and the
executives. Are they properly
trained? Have they the necessary
constituent elements in right pro-
portions? Are they sufficiently
grounded in fundamentals? Have
they been given the proper training
in the colleges-the correct per-
spectives-the basic attitude?
Human Relations Another.
There is more involved, and
there are greater issues and more
at stake in the problems of human
industrial problem. Yet we per-
haps know less. in a concrete and
definite way, about human reactions
and relationships than we do about
any other element with which all
nave 10 10. We hHO" NO" IneldlS
| will react 10 a certain treatment.
We know the reaction OF chemicals.
We know what machinery and
equipment will do under prescribe.
conditions. Blu; we are not so sure
what groups of men and women
will do. Even in the matter of in
| creasinE the wage or salary of such
employees. you cannot be sure Just
/ rxrba hn ut r.,i1I ha
sometimes had the feeling 1t is al
most as dangerous to increase
mans salary as to reduce It!
II can conceive of no more noble,
or essential or valuable piece OF
work for any man to set himself to
than the development of an insti-
tuition or research laboratory where
| men and women. handicapped in
every way. are so trained as to
again become whole as economic
and social units. The gain to this
country in dollars and in social
values. would be inestimable. 1t
is Rot fair, it is not economic, 1t is
| not good business to pay a man or
| a woman 55 per cent of his or her
| former wage and then turn him or
her out upon the world. 1t is pos-
| sible by proper analysis, expert
| mentation and demonstration to
| train and place every handicapped
person in that position or on that
job that will enable that person to
earn a decent wage and be a self
respecting and respected eco
nomic and social unit. The possibil-
titles for large accomplishment in
this are sufficient to challenge the
ambition of any man.
THE Federal Trade Commission
has told US that about 80 per cent
of all industrial and commercial
firms do not know what their costs
are. AS a result, there is unfair
and destroying competition. Not
knowing costs, the reason for the
loss of or the absence of profits
leads to a wrong conclusion as to
the cause. This absence of correct
knowledge of known causes results
In improper measures being
adopted to remedy the apparent
losses. the result being that often
more harm follows. In this, alone,
rests one of the greatest economic
wastes Of industry. How to instruct
plant managers so they will have a
full comprehension of the impor-
>tance of and the essentialness OF
an adequate cost control system, is
one of the unsolved problems of
Industry of great magnitude
There' is adequate information 90
pc mad and machinery to be ap-
piled-but to arouse enthusiasm
for its application is the real
problem"