A
OUTPUT—EFFICIENCY—MORALE
Up Month.” Notices to this effect were posted throughout the plant ¢
and the cooperation of foremen was sought. It was resolved that by )
twelve o'clock noon, September 1st, all scrap should be out of each
manufacturing department and delivered to the salvage department.
September was then announced as “No Scrap Month.” Not all :
scrap, of course, was eliminated during September, but a great im-
provement was effected. The campaign was continued through
October, and thereafter a “scrap barometer” was placed in each
department, enabling the workmen to see the improvement they :
were making. Regarding the total amount of scrap for November
as 100 per cent, the months which followed resulted in improve-
ment as shown by these index numbers: December, 69; January,
82; February, 76; March, 84; and April, 60.
On two industrial railroads which are subsidiaries of the Interna-
tional Harvester Company the men have effected material savings
in fuel consumption as the result of fuel conservation programs in-
itiated by the works councils. A fireman, not a council member, and
an engineer who had served on the council of one of these roads since
its inception, were appointed to investigate the fuel problems and
make recommendations. Not only did they prepare comprehensive
reports embodying many proposals for improved practices, but they
assisted the council in interesting the engine crews with the result that
during the first six months of 1925 there was a marked reduction in
fuel cost per engine hour. The results on this road led the council of
the other railway to adopt similar measures which proved equally
effective.
RAISING STANDARD OF FOREMANSHIP
Far more important than the direct results effected, such as may be
susceptible of monetary measurement, are the effects upon morale. 4
This is particularly marked in the case of foremen and others of the
supervisory forces who feel that they are being held to account for
efficient management of their departments, both by their superiors |
and subordinates. The foreman is likely to discover that more effec-
tive supervision and discipline is possible if he conceives of his responsi-
bility as that of a teacher rather than that of a taskmaster. As we
have pointed out, departmental meetings of foremen with their em-
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