APPRECIATION OF TIME STUDY BY WORKERS THE FIRST STEP.—­The first step of the workers in this direction must be the appreciation of time study, for on time study hangs the entire subject of Scientific Management.  It is this great discovery by Dr. Taylor that makes the elimination of waste possible.  It has come to stay.  Many labor leaders are opposed to it, but the wise thing for them to do is to study, foster and cultivate it.  They cannot stop its progress.  There is no thing that can stop it.  The modern managers will obtain it, and the only way to prevent it from being used by unscrupulous managers is for the workman also to learn the facts of time study.  It is of the utmost importance to the workers of the country, for their own protection, that they be as familiar with time study data as the managers are.  Time study is the foundation and frame work of rate setting and fixing, and certainly the subject of rate fixing is the most important subject there is to the workmen, whether they are working on day work, piece work, premium, differential rate piece, task with bonus, or three-rate system.

Dr. Taylor has proved by time study that many of the customary working days are too long, that the same amount of output can be achieved in fewer hours per day.  Time study affords the means for the only scientific proof that many trades fatigue the workers beyond their endurance and strength.  Time study is the one means by which the workers can prove the real facts of their unfortunate condition under the Traditional plan of management.

The workers of the country should be the very ones that should insist upon the government taking the matter in hand for scientific investigation.  Knowledge is power,—­a rule with no exception, and the knowledge of scientific time study would prepare the workers of any trade, and would provide their intelligent leaders with data for accurate decisions for legislation and other steps for their best interests.  The national bodies should hire experts to represent them and to cooeperate with the government bureau in applying science to their life work.

The day is fast approaching when makers of machinery will have the best method of operating their machines micro-motion studied and cyclegraphed and description of methods of operation in accordance with such records will be everywhere considered as a part of the “makers’ directions for using.”

Furthermore associations of manufacturers will establish laboratories for determining methods of least waste by means of motion study, time study and micro-motion study, and the findings of such laboratories will be put in standardized shape for use by all its members.  The trend today shows that soon there will be hundreds of books of time study tables.  The government must sooner or later save the waste resulting from this useless duplication of efforts.

CHAPTER IV FOOTNOTES:  ==============================================