The Bismarck tribune., 1922-02-20
VITAL PROBLEM
HANDLING MEN,
BEING. SOLVED
Walter Scott Addresses Confer
ence on Vocational Guidance
at Madison, Wis.

Madison, Wis.,, Feb. 20.-The vital
problem of American industry-that
of handling men = is being slowly
solved in America, and> the times
ahead are to be brighter, according
to President Walter Dill Scott of
Northwestern university, who was the
opening speaker at 7 conference on
vocational guidance which began at
the University of Wisconsin here to-
day. Many notables in the vocation
educational field were present. I
"Since the beginning of history we
have made slow progress in our
methods of handling men," said
President Scott. "The time is now
, ripe, however, for a period of signifi-
cant progress in this field. There is
said to be lack of control in the home,
,restlessness in the school, apathy in
the church, shirking in the shops,
dishonesty in the counting houses,
crime in the city and bolshevism in
the air. In spite of all this there is
good ground to believe that our. ert-
rance into the World war in 1919 was
the beginning of period Of real
progress in handling men and that
one of the significant achievements OF
the present generation will be, the de-
velopment and the enhancement, Of
this progress" -
Principal Factors f8
"Three principal factors Of the new
development of the handling of men
in the United States" President Scott
said, "are along the lines yof. vocational
guidance, of education and of mott
vation, all of which have taken on a
new meaning.
"The new conception Of vocational
guidance :, and selection" President
Scott continued, "is this: Every work.
er should be placed in that position
where he has the best possible chance
to make the most of. himself. This
must be interpreted as consistent with
the larger interest of the employer
and as consistent with the larger in
terest of society as a whole. Accord
ing to this conception, the interest of
the employe is first"
However, the interest of the en-
ployer, of the public, as well as of the
employe, is of high Importance, the
speaker declared. This interest of
and, in the .employe "is so, new and
novel" President Scott added, "that no
firm is able to carry it out Completely
at the present time" But many of
our larger industries are taking the
first steps and are making progress,
he affirmed.
Judging Men
"The purpose Of Judging men in in
dustry is to determine their fitness for
particular POSITIONS" he continued,
"Ten years ago there was not an in
dustrial organization in America that
had available any serviceable occupa-
tional description Of Its various jobs.
Today most of our larger industrial
: organizations are preparing some
form of occupational descriptions.
: These descriptions state fDr each job
the preliminary experience necessary
or desirable and the subsequent posi-
tions that should be considered as in
the regular line of promotion. They
state the beginning wage, the rate Of
promotion, the maximum and the av-
erage wage" ~ ,..... T..
President Scott said vocational
guidance in industry cannot be con-
sidered effective unless there is, in
each plant, an executive in charge of
personnel. This personnel director
must have authority and skill in ad-
justing jobs and he. must retain the
confidence of the workers and be an
important official in the, corporation
or company. President Scott said that
the old prejudice. against educated
men, has passed and that the en-
ployer today is anxious to obtain edu-
Gated employees. A man, too, may be
able to profit by experience, or educa-
tion, when he is sixty as we'll as when