144 The Stock Market Crash—dAnd After
“Under a pervasive one-man control, where the
chief executive disposes of all important questions,
such codrdination is, in theory, effected through that
man. But the trend is definitely away from control
by one man; and even where it exists, his absences
may force department heads into conference so frequently
that they have, in effect, a system of regular
operating committees.”
In the hands of such committees management engineering
has become a keen instrument. What it
means to the captains of industry who are reorganizing
their shops and programing their needs months
and years ahead—with resultant discounts on future
earnings that increase the value of their securities
in the present—may be shown by quoting from Wallace
Clark. Mr. Clark is a disciple of the late
Henry L. Gantt, who, with Carl Barth, was closely
associated with Frederick W. Taylor during Taylor’s
latter years. Mr. Clark was a member of the
Kemmerer Commission which reported on the reconstruction
of finances of Poland, and he recommended
a reorganization of Poland’s industries by modern
methods. For three years he has been aiding the
installation of these methods in Poland, Germany,
France, Roumania, Switzerland, and Czechoslovakia.
I put a series of questions to Mr. Clark concerning
his experience, as to the practical benefits resulting
from the scientific organization of industrial enterprises.
The questions together with his answers are
subjoined.