The Washington herald., 1921-08-01

ME American people have no hncr example OF
efficiency, of 100 per cent elimination OF
waste, than is shown in the report, just is
sped. of the Federated American Engineering So
eicties "The Elimination of Waste in Industry.
4 study of how this done is not only interesting
but it is, should be, of the utmost value to those
IN industry telling them how, and demon
Stration which they apply to their affairs.
4 The committee was named January IL. In
exactly six months. the reports had been made,
printed and approved But it took FIVE weeks of the
SIX months for preparation. The actual work was
not begun until the plan showing exactly what was
wanted in every detail, and how to ge it, was COM
pletcd. No child sent to mill and one chased
Wild geese. There definite, concise, complete
program and experts in each industry Investigated
and cot the report for that industry.
III aAs program was practical not academic II
covered conditions not theories. 1t aimed at
helpfifiess, not rhetoric. AS result it has pro-
duced a series of reports covering seven distinct
Industries which management apply. 1t does
not 4etup model, but Mr. Einsteins relatively
ID arrive at standards of comparative efficiency and
Percentages of waste.
b Recently Mr.. Babson was asked to find loca-
tions for industry and what industries fitted in such
locations He found opportunity everywhere, and
that success is mainly based upon personality. No
one at all familiar with industrial plants and plant
management can fail to have patent and ma
terial wastes, all preventable and all pointing to the
one word plan" Planning, all else, has its scien
tic and human side, and both make up manage
nent.
Occasionally there is the plant where materials
have their most convenient receiving place and
always kept sufficient and balanced. The plant itself
is planned to take this material, it through
with the minimum of waste of time and motion and
lsbor cost landing the finished product at the most
convenient place for storage and shipment In such
a.plznt tho wage scale the working conditions and
tic personal contact keep down the labor turnover
md maintain a high degree of labor loyalty and
plant pride.
y This investigation by this society of efficiency is
so thorough the QUESTIONABLE is so complete that it
provides key system for all industries. Plant
managers as the report says, this same
method, the completely outlined plan in their
plsntS-The saving that can result is shown by the
plants in six industries show 6, II, 26 2S and 90
average for all plants studied, runs from 2S1 to
nearly O. points.
1t is significant that the lowest wastage is
charged to outside contact the highest to manage
rnent, while that chargeable to labor is but from a
tenth to under half that of defective management.
This shows that high prices are but the response
bity-0i labor inefficiency in about that pro-
pordoas- and that wages need not be the element
credisrs-to them in price making. With near
100 efficiency in management and labor, both wages
and profits could be maintained and price lowered,
D. something that those brought merely in casual
eontact with industry have believed, but could not
prove.