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News Edition INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY America's Industrial Efficiency through English Eyes
Industrial and Engineering
" T h e Secret of High Wages" is the title of a report m a d e byt w o English engineers after a n investigation of American in dustrial methods a n d conditions. In a sense the book is a t r i b u t e to American efficiency. T h e Englishmen gave nine principles of industrial manage m e n t in t h e United States t o explain o u r world leadership. H o w m a n y of these are t o be found in t h e Great Western Sxigar Company? Men who have read the story of Messrs. Aixsten 'Published hy -the jimeriça?z &mnieal Soeiety a n d Lloyd profess t o see in practice i n this company many, Easton, Pa. if n o t indeed all, of their explanations of American supremacy. T h e underlying reasons for industrial efficiency in the United States, as given by t h e English engineers, a r e : 1—Promotion by merit. There is social snobbery in America Editor: HARRISON E. H O W E Managing Editor: ROBERT P . FISCHELIS as everywhere else, but there is no industrial snobbery. Per Assistant to the Editor: N . A. PARKINSON Associate Editor: D. H. KIJ^LEFPER sonal efficiency is rewarded. 2—Small profits, large volume. The larger t h e output, the lower t h e per unit cost. Simplification a n d standardization. EDITORIAL O F F I C E : ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: 3—Improvement of process. Means lowering of costs. 706 Mills Building, 419 Fourth Ave., Washington, D. C. New York, Ν . Y. 4—Time-saving a n d trouble-saving appliances. Automatic machinery. Labor-saving devices. "Restriction of a man's o u t p u t is ruinous to every democratic interest." Entered as second class matter at Easton, Pa. Issued three times a month. 5—No limit upon possible earnings of a n y man. T h e em Industrial Edition on the 1st, News Edition on the 10th and 20th. ployers are not hostile t o high wages. Wages have risen more Subscription t o Industrial & Engineering Chemistry, $7.50 per year, News t h a n prices. Edition only, $1.50 per year. Single copies, 10 cents. Subscriptions 6—Exchange of ideas, even among competing companies. should be sent t o Charles L. Parsons, Secretary, 1709 G St., 7—Elimination of yyaste. N. W., Washington, D. C. S—Welfare work, surrounding t h e worker with cleanliness a n d light, seeking t o increase his conveniences and satisfaction. Vol. 5 N O V E M B E R ! 0 . 1927 N o . 21 9—Utilization of research. T h e Englishmen also investigated methods of distribution, industrial financing, a n d taxation of business, in all of which Vote they found American methods t o be t h e superior of ruling T h e disinclination of those possessing suffrage to share re practice in Britain. Their conclusion was: " T h e very life of Great Britain depends on two things—the sponsibility through voting is a subject for frequent comment deliberate adoption b y employers in this country of a policy in all sections of t h e press. The delinquency of the American of high wages; and the intelligent understanding on the p a r t of voter is shared b y a majority of the members of the American t h e men t h a t every mechanical aid to efficiency must be used Chemical Society, for very seldom have more t h a n 15 per cent to t h e utmost, t h a t the organization of cheaper production on American lines must be accepted, and t h a t restrictions on indi of t h e members participated in the annual election. This failure vidual o u t p u t must b e swept a w a y . " to vote is not peculiar to the American Chemical Society, for all their study of corioUtions among American working-men scientific a n d other organizations suffer in the same way a n d t h eI ntwo Britishers found: doubtless from t h e same causes. T h e prevalence of the habit " T h e industrial workers, t h e rank a n d file of its democracy, h a v e a t t a i n e d standards of earnings and comfort and possession to allow someone else t o elect responsible officials and afterward a n d rational enjoyment beyond anything t h a t the ordinary man insist upon t h e right to criticize t h e choice is an insufficient in this country conceives. T h e United States presents a spec excuse for becoming subject to it. tacle of relative power a n d confidence, accumulation and eco We have received from the Secretary of the Society a ballot nomic achievement, without a n y parallel in the world's history." —The Sugar Press. upon which we are expected t o nominate a president a n d four councilors-at-large. With the ballot we find included information in accordance with t h e vote of t h e Council for our guidance, The Price Cutter these suggestions being made b y local sections. If we d o n o t find in t h e list the men for whom we should like to vote, we can Tell me n o t in smiling numbers, Selling costs are what they seem. insert our own nominations. Surely t h e man who is too busy And t h e man who cuts for orders to search t h e field a n d find t h e candidate ideal from his point Gets the lion's share of cream. of view can find an ample range for selection among the thirteen names offered for the office of president. If you strive to build a business, Do n o t b e a h u m a n sieve— Voting has been made as easy as possible, but it has lost none Letting leak y oui- needed profit, of its importance. T h e method of voting has been prescribed Trusting luck will let you live. by t h e Council, t h e date h a s been fixed. Do not allow your ballot t o lie about until too late to have it reach the Secretary's Lives of dead ones all remind u s W h a t it means to sell on guess; office on or before November 2 1 . The offices of president and Their departure makes us keener councilors-at-large in t h e American Chemical Society a r e of T o sell right a n d not "for less." importance t o every member of t h e Society. Be sure t o take your proper p a r t in the selection of these officers. For no trade can long be loyal To a man who's all regrets, Can't deliver—who's just living On t h e interest of his debts. Emery Candle Go. Researches —Selected. T h e E m e r y Candle Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, has just estab lished a fellowship a t The Mellon Institute of Industrial Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa., under the direction Federal Purchase Specifications of R o b e r t N . Wenzel of Palo Alto, California, who will conduct research in tallows a n d greases, looking toward the betterment T h e Federal Specifications Board is adopting and promulgating of distillation a n d saponification processes as adapted t o t h e purchase specifications for commercial commodities purchased stearic acid and red oil industry. b y t h e various departments a n d establishments of the Govern Dr. Wenzel was formerly a professor of chemistry a t Lela.ad ment. These specifications in the formative stage are submitted Stanford University, a n d has had practical research experience to representative manufacturers for their comment. A t the with the Monsanto Chemical Works and the American Smelting present time specifications for manganese bronze in rods, bars, a n d Refining Co. shapes, a n d plates a r e under consideration. The Board will be T h e E m e r y Candle Company is also expanding t h e research glad t o receive any comments or suggestions within t h e next work being conducted a t its own plant by T h e D r . Ernest m o n t h , and correspondence should be addressed to the Director Twitchell Laboratory of The Emery Candle Company. of the Bureau of Standards.
Chemistry
NEWS EDITION
