QUESTION  TRADE  TESTS

225

say,  “No,  it  doesn’t,  but  I  need  the  money.”  Neither
can  a  large  variety  of  answers  be  expected  to  such  a
question  as:  “Have  you  had  much  trouble  with  the  foremen ­
  for  whom  you  worked?”  The  question:  “Are  you
nervous?”  will  certainly  not  encourage  an  applicant  to  admit ­
  the  fact  even  if  it  is  true.  When  the  attention  of  the
foreman  who  made  out  this  list  was  called  to  these  points
and  the  real  purpose  of  the  questions  explained  to  him,  he
was  very  much  chagrined  and  said:  “I  ought  to  have
known  better,  but  to  tell  the  truth,  I  made  them  out  in  a
hurry  and  did  not  give  them  enough  thought.  Leave  them
with  me,  and  I  will  make  out  another  set  which  will  be
closer  to  what  I  think  you  want.”  The  second  attempt  was
a  very  great  improvement  on  the  first.  It  is  given  below
in  full  because  it  will  serve  as  a  basis  for  the  method  of
asking  questions  which  is  advocated  here  and  which  has
already  been  developed  to  an  unheard-of  extent  in  connection ­
  with  the  classification  of  personnel  for  military
and  industrial  purposes.
1.  Q.  What  experience  have  you  had  as  a  gun  assembler? ­
  A.  More  than  five  years  on  various  makes,  both
rifle  and  shotgun.
2.  Q.  Name  the  most  important  adjustments  on  a  gun.
A.  Breeching,  locking,  trigger,  chamber,  firing  pin,  barrel
and  sight  alignment.
3.  Q.  Why  do  you  consider  breeching  important?  A.
Because  if  the  gun  is  not  breeched  correctly  the  cartridge
will  be  loose  and  cause  unnecessary  wear  on  chamber.
4.  Q.  Why  lock?  A.  If  lock  is  not  correctly  adjusted  the
gun  may  fly  open  and  injure  the  operator  while  shooting.
5.  O.  Why  trigger?  A.  If  trigger  pull  is  too  light,  gun
may  jar  off  and  injure  some  one,  or  if  too  heavy  will  cause
poor  targeting.