Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-18
MORRIS L. COOKE
On Unemployment

UNEMPLOYMENT is one of the greatest
" wastes in modern industry, and can and
should be avoided, even in times of financial
stress, according to Morris l.. Cooke, con
sulting engineer and formerly director of the
Department of Public Works Of Phila-
delphia.
Summarizing he said today: THE max
imum relief from the evils attendant upon
unemployment will come about through To-
calization of the problem within the indi-
vidua manufacturing plant. Continuous
employment is an absolute prerequisite for
constantly lowering costs. In an economic
sense all idlencss during predetermined hours
Of work is waste. Unemployment insurance
schemes, whether operated under private or
State auspices and under which the rate
will necessarily be predicatcd upon the
plant previous record in maintaining steady
employment, lead to new interest among
employers In unemployment
Going more into detail he said: Amy
approach to the study of unemployment in
wolves some assumption which, while not
current, seems to be fully in line with our
probable industrial development. For in
stance, it appears to be altogether in the in
tercst of higher qualitative production that
much more Importance should attach to the
separation of the individual worker from
given industrial unit than is attached to his
joining it.
Can Satisfy MISTAKES"
"A mistake made in taking on given
worker may always be 'reCtfcd' by a dis
charge before the end of the trial period
This Is the purpose of the trial engagement.
But once the worker has been finally ac-
cepted and made part of the organization
he must be held much more tcnaciously than
is our common practice. This is not because
of any ownership to the title of the job, but
simply because If the worker has been care
fully selected at the start we'll trained in
his specific duties and properly oriented in
the organization, his leave taking must be a
matter of financial and human concern.
I'm the long run, however. we cannot
hold people for whom we do not providc
work. So we pass to the concept that il
may be just as bad to take more work than
our regular force can perform as it is to
fail to secure enough work TO keep that
regular force busy.
1T is the testimony Of the best managers
the world over that as we learn TO carry ON
a given class OF work in better fashion the
percentage of the skilled workers increases
In fact there is an abundance of evidence
supporting the theory that when industry
becomes truly scientific there will be no
place for the unskllled, Hence we can safely
conclude that the better the management tho
greater will be the financial sacrifice neces.
sarily associated with lay-offs and dis
missals.
Il believe we have now arrived at the
time when the manufacturers who are to he
tne most prosperous IN the long run will
definitely decide on the size of force required
and hold to it. In almost every case this
will mean force smaller than the one now
employed Better methods and a decision
TO give steady employment to those employed
almost invariably means an ultimate reduc-
tion in the normal force. Every effort
should be made TO effect this gradually
through normal separations and NOT nv
firing anybody. There is nothing here r.
preclude growth, but It should be growth
considered in the light of a steady, long time
demand for service
Another Idea
Another idea which while NOT currept
nevertheless appears to be inherent in Of .
fcctive manufacturing, suggests that idle. .
| ness on the part of pieceworkcrs has as do
cided an effect on cost as ideness anvwhere
else. The employer does not appear 70 na y
| in any way for this type Of idieness simniy
| because he does not pay in direct ,pagoa
! But he pays in unnecessarily high. mica
| rates and in other more indirect ways
''ln an economic sense all idleness durino n
predetermined hours of work il waste In
| pOrtant as it il from manufacturing stand
! point to keep machines busy, il ia m,,cb
| more so to keep the workers busy. ViewoJ
from this angle check on man hours he
| comes relatively much more important tbor
| check on machine hours '''''
| I'VE approach nearer and nearer tbs tinoo
| when propositions for unemployment insmr
| ance must be seriously entertained in th,a
country. Under the proposed Wisconsin
| law manufacturers previous record In ofI
! fording steady employment determines The