Evening star., 1927-11-06

Changing productivity is the sub
ject of a new survey that has just
been undertaken by the National Bu.
reau of Economic Research and the
orga nization is seeking the co-opera-
ton of public-spirited industrial ex-
ecutives throughout the country.
The object of the survey is to ascer-
tain as accurately as possible, for the
various industries and processes, the
typical number of units of products
turned out for each hour of labor ap-
piled, and to compare the output at
the present time with the output at
earlier periods. In other words, the
country is to be informed whether
labor is producing more or less than
it was 10, 90 or 80 years ago-how
much industry has been speeded up,
if at all.
Although not one of the announced
objects Of the survey, it is inevitable
that it will show whether there is
any sound basis for the charge fire.
quently made that labor unions have
deliberately retarded production.
Factory executives who have rec
ords covering all or any part Of the
past 80 years which they believe
would enable a. computation to be
made of the units of product per hour
cate with the bureau, indicating
briefly the nature of the Information
they have. Arrangements will then
be made to have a representative of
the bureau visit the plant. There will
be no expense to the informant, the
statistical analysis Of the records Of
the individual plant will be made
available to the executives of the es-
tablishment involved for checking and
Tor such private use as they may
wish to make of it, and none Of the
information secured will be used in
such way as to enable outsiders
to identify any establishment in con.
nection with the facts concerning it.
Comparable Products.
1t Is realized, it is stated. that for
any industry, and even for a single
establishment, 1t is difficult to express
output in units that are strictly com.
parable. The most useful comparisons
Will be those expressed in terms which
are comparable throughout an indus
try. However, 1t is expected that there
will be many cases where, for a given
plant, 1t is possible to show significant
changes in the labor required for q
product which is comparable in charac.
ter Tor the plant in question, though
u might not be comparable with the
product OF other establishments in the
same general industry.
so Ear as possible, comparisons will
be made In terms of the labor per unit
or finished product, but it is recog-
nized that it will often be of large in
terest. particularly where the finished
pEoduct is of roncomparable type.
TO make comparisons of the changes
in the labor required on particular
processes or combinations of processes.
For example. it may not be feasible
TO make reliable comparisons Of the
amount OF labor required to erect q fin.
ished dwelling, but 1t may prove prac.
ticabie to ascertain. within a reason
anie degree OF accuracy, the changes
In tne labor required to move 1000
CUBIC Yards OF earth in making excava-
tion LOT dwellings,, or the labor re.
quired to lay 1000 bricks.
TO aid In interpreting the signifi.
canoe or observed changes in OUTPUT.
an effort will be made to ascertain the
nature OF concurrent changes which
have been made in equipment. type of
labor employed, methods Of wage nav.
ments. or any other modification of
practice which appears as likely to
nave had an appreciable influence on
output This inquiry into concurrent
changes will not delve into those de.
taiis OF processes or other pha
which are OF present importance and
OF n more or less confidential nature
1t is promised. but will be. concerned
rather with the treatment of mast
changes in terms sufficiently general
to hazard no business secrets.
Prof Harry Jerome, professor of
economics in the University of Wis.
consin. in charge Of instruction in
economic statistics, will have gen.
eral supervision of the survey. 1t is
announced. and Inquiries should be
addressed to him at 313 Sterling Hall.
Madison, Wis.
Surveys That Have Been Made.
Since the Bureau of Economic Re.
search was organized seven years ago
1t has made a number of studies of
great Importance in their bearing on
economic, social and industrial prob.
lens. The first task it undertook was
to determine the size and distribution
Of the income produced and consumed
by the American people. The find.
ings In this investigation We're pub
iished in two volumes entitled 'In.
come in the United State. It's Amount
and Distribution. 1909-1919," and later
a supplementary volume was issued
under the title distribution Of In.
| come by States in 1919" This was
followed by more elaborate study
and the bureau has also published
tentative estimates Of income to and
including the year 1925.
When the country was in the throes
Of the postwar business depression
In 1921 Secretary Hoover, as chair
man Of President Harding's confer.