Here Was in Many Cases, Undoubt Ity of the Country
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A little bit of knowledge can be very helpful when it comes to learning from history to better understand the present. http://www.bobemiliani.com/a-little-bit-of-knowledge-can-be/ ________________________________________________________ "The Problem of Industrial Efficiency," Page 1 Henry Gantt, The Engineering Digest, March 1911, pp. 179-183 "Elementary Time Study as a Part of the Page 6 Taylor System of Scientific Management." Industrial Engineering and The Engineering Digest, Vol. XI, No. 2, February 1912, pp. 85-95 "A Little Faking on Both Sides," Page 17 Anon., Bulletin of the Efficiency Society, Vol. 1, No. 2, December 1912, pp. 10-11 "The Efficiency Movement: An Outline," Page 19 Charles B. Going, Journal Efficiency Society, Transactions Volume 1 (1912), 1913, pp. 11- 20 "The General Principles of Organization Page 29 Applied to an Individual Manufacturing Establishment," Henry R. Towne, Journal Efficiency Society, Transactions Volume 1 (1912), 1913, pp. 77-83 "Training for Large Responsibilities in Page 36 Business," James P. Munroe, Journal Efficiency Society, Transactions Volume 1 (1912), 1913, pp. 399-405 "Inefficient Efficiency Experts," Page 43 Anon., Bulletin of the Efficiency Society, Vol. 2, No. 4, April 1913, pp. 8-9 "A Few Words on the Subject of Getting Page 45 Things Done," Henry Gantt, Journal of the Efficiency Society, Volume 2, No. 6, June 1913, pp. 8-9 "Making Goods Versus Making Records," Page 47 Henry Gantt, Efficiency Society Journal, Vol. 6, No. 9, September 1917, pp. 460-461 "Training Men to Specialize in Cutting Page 49 Costs," Edward L. Ryerson Jr., Factory: The Magazine of Management, 1 March 1921, pp. 590-594 THE ENGINEERING DIGEST 179 omy, page 205). In these tests the relative velocity increases. This merely corresponds velocity of the gases, obtained by multiply to the well-known fact that overdriving tends ing the pounds of combustible per sq. ft. of to decrease efficiency. Whether it is possible grate per hour, by the pounds of gas per lb. with the same quantity of coal burned to in C is crease the efficiency by increasing the velocity Test No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 of the gases, such as might be done by giving Relative velocity of gases: a Babcock & Wilcox boiler five or seven vert ical gas passages instead of three, and in 1 1.64 2.45 2.64 4.74 2.92 creasing the pressure of the forced draft to The relative quantity of water evaporated is overcome the greatly increased friction of 1 1.66 2.33 2.71 3.80 2.71 the passages, is another question, and one And the relative efficiencv which is not answered by these tests or by 1 0.99 0.97 0.98 0.85 0.93 any other of which the writer has knowledge. The only conclusions that can be drawn In view of the fact that these tests show such from these figures are that the total quantity high results as to leave little margin for im of water evaporated tends to increase at a provement, it is highly improbable that any slower rate than the increase of velocity, and material increase in efficiency can be obtained that the efficiency tends to decrease as the by the means stated. THE PROBLEM OF INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY' The Solution, in Which Equity is the Greatest Factor, A Question for the Engineer BY H. L. GANTT2 About fifteen years ago the financiers of extremely popular for three or four years, this country discovered a new and, seemingly, and the formation of consolidations or trusts a very important principle. They realized in manufacturing, and of great systems in that in many cases, at least, large factories railroading, went on at a rapid rate. The were making a larger percentage of profit economies that had been produced by these than small ones, and conceived the idea of methods, together with the fact that, with uniting the small ones under one system of the elimination of competition, the selling management. By this move they certainly price had been upheld, enabled many such did give the small factories a better financial combinations to pay dividends on stock standing, at the same time reducing what which had originally represented little or no might be called the financial or business ex value. pense. The unprecedented prosperity that fol This move also reduced competition, and lowed the introduction of these methods was decreased the cost of selling, which has al undoubtedly caused, in a large measure, by ways been a large element of expense. Un them, and the financier was justly regarded der these conditions business prospered rap as having done much to promote the prosper idly, for there was in many cases, undoubt ity of the country. Our internal trade grew edly, a reduction in cost. The illustrated at an astounding rate, but the American in magazines were filled with the pictures of vasion of Europe did not materialize, and it the "captains of industry" that had engi was not very long before we began to hear neered these combinations, and it was freely complaints of the inefficiency of labor. predicted that the economies to be obtained Wages began to rise, but the output of the were so great that it was only to be a ques workmen did not rise correspondingly. The tion of time before Europe would be flooded financier had undoubtedly effected econo with American goods. mies on those portions of the business di Magazine articles of this character were rectly under his control, but had not suc ceeded in producing a similar effect on those ■An address delivered to the National Civic Federation, New York, Jan. 12, 1911. with which he did not come in direct con Consulting Engineer, 120 West 57th St., New York. tact. MARCH, 1911 180 INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING and As a matter of fact, while the financier costs will in the future be higher, are we not had been forming his great combinations of pointing to the time when tliese necessities manufacturing interests and railroads, with will again be luxuries? the effect, at least as far as the public is The statement, which happily few believe concerned, of upholding prices, the workmen to be a fact, that in any industry the mini had gone him one better. By their unions mum cost has been reached and that hereafter ' not only have they upheld the price of their costs must be higher, is such a serious one, labor, but in many cases markedly increased and fraught with such serious consequences it, without rendering any more service than to our industries at large, that many of us formerly; the employers, in many cases, say feel like asking the great financiers who are less. backing this statement to speak for them Under those conditions the projected inva selves only, for there are many engineers who sion of Europe seems to be postponed in not only do not agree with them, but who definitely, and the continually increasing cost believe there are means of increasing efficien of living in this country seems to indicate cies and reducing costs that the financier that we need something more than able finan has as yet no conception of. These ciering to round out our theory of industrial methods have been applied in isolated cases, economy. and to a greater or less degree to a great This has been a growing conviction on the variety of industries and have produced a part of students of our economic conditions better product, and a cheaper product, and for several years, but the most critical were the workers have been better paid and are not prepared for the admission, before the better satisfied. Interstate Commerce Commission, by some In making this statement it is not intended of the most noted railroad financiers of the to disparage the work of the financier, but to country, apparently seconded by Mr. Morgan remind him that the civilization of to-day has himself, that they had done everything pos not been built up solely by his efforts. The sible to reduce the expense of operating engineer and his able assistant, the skilled railroads and that from now on the public mechanic, have been even more integral fac must accustom itself to increasing freight tors than the financier, and until they hold up rates. These financiers thus admit that in their hands and say the end is reached, that the branch of industry in which the financial modern combination of engineer and me man is perhaps more nearly supreme than chanic, the mechanical engineer, respectfully in any other, and in which competition has asks that they withhold their cry of despair been practically eliminated, rising costs force and allow him to present what Mr. Brandeis them to ask the public to bear a portion of calls his "Gospel of Hope." their burden. The civilization of to-day differs radically It is inconceivable that the president of a from those of the past, which were founded manufacturing concern should make such a on wealth wrung from unwilling millions by statement, but if it is allowed to go unchal the hand of the oppressor. That of to-day is lenged the public naturally asks if other in supported by the industry of millions of dustries will not soon be making similar re workers in the mechanic arts. quests. Until within a few years all mechanical The student of economics asks if there is knowledge was empirical. It had been gath not something lacking in our system of indus ered by cut-and-dry methods through cen trial economy that makes such requests neces turies and was handed down from father sary, or even possible.