The New York herald., 1921-02-27

| ferent trades were established after
much thought and study. These stand
ards or measuring rods" were marked
Off into lengths corresponding to the
degree OF perfection necessary in the
! making of apprentice. journeyman, ex-
pert, &c. Questions were evolved, each
of which had a definite numerical
value. The examiners were provided
with both questions and answers and
were able In this way to rate the ex-
aminee and accurately pigeonhole ac-
cording to his trade ability. The tests
were oral and written. There were
also picture tests and performance
tests.
.The use Of methods of job analysis
and the application Of trade tests"
says the author. 'are not theoretical
ideas which will have to fight for
hearing. The situation in almost all
large industries is crying out Tor some
device which will meet the present diff
fjculties of operation. Every large en-
ployment office. either through it's fol-
low up work. when using methods OF
general interview, or else through its
expensive office pay roll. when the
examinations are conducted by ex-
perts, knows how necessary is some
radical change in the mechanism OF
placement Just as in the army the
occupat:onal specifications and trade
tests came into existence to meet ur-
gent demands of the personnel Of
ficers, who saw their own methods
were completely breaking down. so
also in industry job analysis and
trade tests will enter to fill want. the
magnitude Of which is best known to
the employment office itself"
DR.. Chapman admits that the
methods evolved by the army are not
suited in their present form to civilian
Industry. but he believes with Some
modification the discoveries of the
War Department are practical. and,
with here and there modification, can
be applied to all modern industry.
Discussing job analysis the author
believes that the further splitting up
Of trades is inevitable. He asserts that
men ought not to be hired on the basis
of general fitness but on the basis OF
their fitness for particular JOB.
Under this arrangement such classi-
fication as machinists will disappear.
and in its place will appear such as
Job 26. job 43. &c. These new classi-
fications will be obtained by analyzing
every job on the basis Of it's physical.
mental. economic and human char
acteristics. Applicants will be tested,
and IL their ratings are those of the
vacancies they will be hired.
when the scale Of production which
the necessities OF the world make i'm
perative is begun" asserts DR.. Chap
man, industry will be in desperate
need of more and particularly skilled
men. Without the strictest economy
Z in the use OF human resources the
process of adjustment may be indefi-
nitely prolonged. The decline in the
quantity Of labor available must even
tually mean the introduction of a more
effective method OF using the knowl-
edge and skill of each man employed.
Increased personnel. however ex-
pensive the procedure. is the only pos
sible solution unless industry is will
ing to make radical alterations in the
methods of hiring. assigning. transfer
ring and training men. To effect these
alterations the most careful attention
will have to be given to the related
problem of training the employee and
measuring effectively the degree Of
his proficiency. Maximum production
goes hand in hand with correct place
ment."