The Worker's Time Unit.

To appreciate the differences which these methods involve, an examination of what they mean in the worker's time unit is essential. If the traditional method of merely increasing wages to obtain an increase in output is followed we may suppose that the result conforms with that desired end. Now, if prior to the difference, the employees were putting forth the greatest reasonable amount of effort in the time unit, then, under the inducement of extra pay “speeding-up” results. In some factories employees have stated to the writer that they felt they were “being driven” in order to complete the job “against time.” These are symptomatic of speeding-up and indicate the result of offering a spur or an incentive to the will, so that more than the greatest reasonable amount of effort is expended during the work unit. This evil result upon the feelings of the employees (with a train of attendant misfortunes to be considered when we discuss the worker) represents the very essence of “speeding-up.”

(To be continued.)