The Connecticut labor news., 1921-08-05

some large plants as well as some small ones have large waste factor, 1t Is stated.
 "The metal trades" says the report, "constitute the largest manulactur- ing industry i'll the United States, in the number of employees engaged and the value of products. The industry is pretty much concentrated east ot the Mississippi river, in the New Eng land states, the Middle Atlantic states and i'll the Middle West. Pennsylvania and Ohio lead i'll the industry; then follow New York, Illinois, Massachu- setts, Connecticut and New Jersey.
 The metal making branch ot the in dustry IS not included in thls survey that IS the branch which produces what are usually known as raw ma terials," plates, shapes, wire and pip ing.
 A comprehensive study and survey was made of IS representative plants, of various sizes and types, distributed through the states which lead in the industry In addition to these de tailed surveys or assays, number ot other plants were studied and gen. eral information obtained through the co-operation of various metal trades associations.
 Altogether the investigation has been made as thorough and impartial as possible within the time available, with view to obtaining at first hand the real facts upon which to base con StruCtlve recommendations or suggeS- tions for improvement" the lnVest1- gators state Some of the plants in vestigated have old fashioned man agement,' some have modern man agement and others are in between.' " The Major Causes.
 The major causes of waste or non production, applicable to normal times as we'll as to the present ab- normal times, IS attributed to insta- bility of labor employment and in efficient management. Most of the plants surveyed gave very little thought to the instability of labor employment. The report continues: The proper relationship between management and labor, such as exist in the most productive plants inVestl- gated, is more than ever a controlling tactor. The plants with the highest labor turnover (which reflects discon- tenD are in general the most waste ful of human effort; hence secure the smallest production per man hour. It
 
 best relationship exists and the best understanding and least friction pre- vail in plants where the most thor ough and scientific study of organiza- ton methods and standards have been made by the management in co-opera- ton with the workers.
 The careful planning of work, the providing and the moving of materials by means of material control; com parison of output of departments and of individuals with fair standards of performance, fairly and scientifically determined; these are the practices oi those concerns which have been most free from labor unrest, and where greatest mutual confidence and CO operation exist between employer and employed.
 The provision by the management of proper facilities and convenience for developing the latent productivity of the workers and the provision O. fair incentive for those who make good play a large part in eliminating l waste in the best establishments. Tt is shown by experience of the plants visited as well as, by genera experience that considerable improve ment can be brought about by mean: of modern employment methods which provide, among other feature:
 363 Per Cent. Turnover. Dealing with the cost of labor turn over, the report says:
 year 1920, for the plants covered b,
 these studies (Wherever records were kept, which was the case in less thar
 half of the plants), was Ioo per cent. | the percentage given Tn most case | being the ratio between the numbe l of separations and the average mum Der on the payroll. The highest turn
 over was 366 per cent.
 l There is a practical minimum tc the labor turnover in shop or tac | tory, which cannot be excelled in spe cial cases. There are Separations
 that are unavoidable, due to deaths ! marriages, etc, for which allow 6'
 per cent may be allowed which stil
 leaves an avoidable or preVentabl
 turnover of say 100 per cent annual ly in the metal trades industry. This
 of course, can be done only by mos
 thorough understanding and coop
 eration of all concerned, manage
 ment, labor and the public.
 "ln this industry, then, with 1t
 2,ooo,ooo employees, with the aVerag
 plant virtually renewing it's entir
 working force, or filling each posi-
 ton, one-and-a-half times a year, w have 2,oOO,oOO unnecessary separa , tions,' the equivalent of 100000 workers annually separated and re hired somewhere, and at what cost Expert estimates of the cost of labO turnover vary from $50 to $25o pc , employe hired, trained and separat ed. An average figure of only $5 each applied to 2,ooo,ooo employe
 turned-over,' means an averag 5 waste of $Ioo, ,ooo, ,ooo due to avoiC able labor turnover, in this one 1T dustry.
 Instability of labor employmer resulting from strikes and lockout / has not been as serious in the mets trades industry as in some other 1T dustries, with the exception of tn : shipbuilding branch of this industr.
 Interchange of Ideas. "An open interchange of ideas an business results by management = both in the particular industry an 5 in other industries, should lead to - higher level of methods, service an - general business ethics If carrie , on through definite channels sue e interchange might easily result in e combined study of the possibilities (
 the future and the avoidance in tf
 years 10 come, of such conditions { - we are now facing. It is evide1 - that management of labor must n elevated to a higher plane. Becaus a | Ia hor iS the major factor in most