Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-12-10
What's
New?
BY Edward ]. Duck,
Assistant Director, National
Auto-Lite Department

with music-in-in d ustry, /
should like to present a few
statements taken from man.
agement representatives rel
tive to- this subject.
These testimonials to mu-
sic-While-you-work are taken
word for word from the man
ual of The Industrial Recre-
alton Association For Ameri-
can Industry, whose president
is c. A. Benson, of Eastman
Kodak. Last years president,
was James F. Walsh, of the
Chrysler Corporation.
From IRA's handbook, Music
In Industry, published in 1914
there is ample proof of the
value of industrial music:
From Davis & Geek, Inc:,
Brooklyn: Better m or a i e
may certainly be cited as
major benefit of music in this
plant. believe it sustains pro-
duction. 1t cuts down on the
conversation, and too much
conversation unquestionably
reduces output. We have also
discovered that the music has
eliminated most of the un-
necessary trips to the rest
rooms has cut down to a
trickle traffic to the medical
department. Music is better
than a lot of headache RENE
dies could name"
Alabama Dry Dock and
Shipbuilding Co., Mobile, says:
I'VE have found that the mo-
rale of our workers has great
ly improved. Our file shows
an absenteeism reduction since
industrial-music pr gra ms
were inaugurated."
r. M. Hollingshead Cor
poration, Camden, tells us:
Though production figures
are not available, we believe
that music is an important
factor in reducing waste mo-
ton and improving morale,
greater safety, conscientious
ness, and increased punctuali-
ty."
Listen to Fellows G. ear
Shaper, Springfield, Vermont:
There is no doubt regarding
the value of the music and
public address system in our
plant. ] am sure it has not
only helped morale and less
ened absenteeism, but has
been beyond the question of a
doubt the means of helping
to increase production beyond
our fondest hopes"
The best statement of all
comes from Westinghouse Ell
ectrical Manufacturing Co.,
Newark, N, j., where music
has been played during work.
ing hours since 1925: "We
tried out music as an aid to
production, and the results
were so good we've used it
ever since. We would about as
soon close the windows on a
not day as shut off the music,
especially during overtime
work."
Carl L. Norden, Inc, New
York City manufacturer of
bombsights during the recent
war, had this to say: "We
have found music very ef-
fective in counteracting en-
ployee fatigue, particularly in
the late afternoon. Our opera
ton is one that calls for ex-
tremely high precision, and
consequently we play no vo-
cal numbers, as they might
prove distracting."
Bristol-Myers Co., druggists,
of Hillside, N. J. states: "Mu-
sic with us is merely a by
product. We installed our
sound system primarily as an
aid to finding busy executives
and other key men when away
from their desks or stations.
We tried music because we
thought the employees would
like it. Sure enough, they do
8 per cent of them, anyway.
The production lines where
we package Ipana, Sal Hepa-
tica, and other BIN products
are automatic. The machines
set the pace. Much of the
work is repetitive, and music
in our opinion breaks the
monotony and relieves the e
tension. But If there Is any in
crease in production it is
purely incidental. The main
thing is, employees like the
music. If they ask for II, that
is enough for us.
The Chemical Construction
Company, New York City, is
the last firm we have room in
this column to quote, although
this list could 60 on for many
pages: "The system was ORR
ginally installed on approval
only, because we did not know
what the reaction of highly
skilled, technical men would
be. 1t met with instantaneous
success, however, and a few
weeks afterwards we took an
individual poll Of our employ
ees. The results were amazing
Q8 ner cent yoted in favor