286 
EMPLOYMENT PSYCHOLOGY 
issue must not be lost sight of. From the viewpoint of 
the factory, there are certain kinds of work for which 
workers must be supplied. Some types of work are less 
desirable than others. A certain and usually limited num 
ber of applicants is available. With these, all the posi 
tions must be filled, the poorer as well as the better. The 
object of the training school is to fill them as expeditiously 
as possible. Therefore, the qualifications and preferences 
of every applicant will be consulted so far as possible. 
This is a problem which can not be formulated or solved 
abstractly. Indeed, it is too broad a problem for any 
particular factory to handle. It must be attacked by 
the state or by the community, because it is fundamen 
tally a problem of vocational training. In the meanwhile 
the practical needs of the particular industry, in conjunc 
tion with the natures of particular individuals, must deter 
mine the degree to which the selection of jobs is left to 
the worker himself. 
In answer to the objections that the centralized school 
will encourage too critical a comparison between the more 
and the less desirable kinds of work it may be contended 
that this inequality can be overcome by means of paying 
higher rates for less desirable types of work. This is 
usually done, at least in intent. Still, a certain degree 
of inequality will always remain, and the centralized 
training school will encourage and facilitate the detection 
of these inequalities by incoming employees. This, how 
ever, may well be considered as an advantage rather 
than as a disadvantage. 
The method adopted will depend largely upon the 
character of the problem to be met in different organiza 
tions. Whatever method is chosen will have to take into 
consideration certain fundamental factors which enter