Putting aside at the moment the emotional side of this argument, which is undoubtedly a strong side and a side worthy of consideration, with much truth in it, and looking solely at the logical side,—­it cannot do the “weaker” brother any good in the long run, and it does the world much harm, to have his work overestimated.  The day is coming, when the world will demand that the quantity of the day’s work shall be measured as accurately where one sells labor, as where one sells sugar or flour.  Then, pretending that one’s output is greater than it really is will be classed with “divers weights and divers measures,” with their false standards.  The day will come when the public will insist that the “weaker brother’s” output be measured to determine just how weak he is, and whether it is weakness, unfitness for that particular job, or laziness that is the cause of his output being low.  When he reaches a certain degree of weakness, he will be assisted with a definite measured quantity of assistance.  Thus the “weaker brother” may be readily distinguished from the lazy, strong brother, and the brother who is working at the wrong job.  Measurement should certainly be insisted on, in order to determine whether these strong brothers are doing their full share, or whether they are causing the weaker brothers to over-exert themselves.

No one who has investigated the subject properly can doubt that it will be better for the world in general to have each man’s output, weak and strong, properly measured and estimated regardless of whether the weak and strong are or are not paid the same wages.  The reason why the unions have had to insist that the work shall not be measured and that the weaker brother’s weakness shall not be realized is, that in the industrial world the only brotherhood that was recognized was the brotherhood between the workers, there being a distinct antagonism between the worker and the manager and little or no brotherhood of the public at large.  When Scientific Management does away, as it surely will, with this antagonism, by reason of the cooeperation which is its fundamental idea, then the workers will show themselves glad to be measured.

As for the “weaker” brother idea, it is a natural result of such ill treatment.  It has become such a far-reaching emotion that even Scientific Management, with its remedy for many ills, cannot expect in a moment, or in a few years, to alter the emotional bias of the multitudes of people who have held it for good and sufficient reasons for generations.

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSERVE MEASUREMENT DATA.—­The one thing which can permanently alter this feeling forms the natural conclusion to this chapter.  That is, measurements in general and motion study and time study in particular must become a matter of government investigation.  When the government has taken over the investigation and established a bureau where such data as Scientific Management discovers is collected and kept on file for all who will to use, then the possessor of the secret will feel that it can safely place the welfare of its “weaker brothers” in the hands of a body which is founded and operates on the idea of the “square deal.”