THE INDUSTRIAL MACHINE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 236, 24 June 1918, Page 8

THE INDUSTRIAL MACHINE

M. W. S. LA TROBE'S IDEAS ON EFFICIENCY. Mr. \V. S. T,a Trobe, Director of the lechiiieal College, says in the New Zealand Journal of Science and Techni-ology:-"Jt has been held ns a first prinfiplo of democracy that every worker should enjoy the fruits of his own lα,>o!lr - It seems to me necessary, m> a prior condition. Hint he should enjoy the labour itself, nnd that it should call v?- L L-J , cicrcis e of his best powers, while, therefore, we mar admit that under the compelling influence of urgent necessity, and inspired by the lofti- ■ est motives of patriotism and 6elf-aacri-lice, I lie worker may find joy and satlsiactiuii in the performance of monotoni oiis and nerve-racing duties, we cannot i nssiiinc that the same duties will be cheerfully performed for long periods under ordinary commercial conditions, wen if they were, the worker must surely degenerate so for as hie physical and mental equipment are concerned. Again, it has been and still is -to a large extent customary to employ young chil- ! dreu in factories to perform the simpler operations. This custom, which was very popular as long as cheap production was assumed to be possible onlv with cheap labour, is likely to die out rather rapidly. It result* in large human waste, through the fact that ns the children grow up they must for the most part seek other occupations, for which tneir past service has rather tended to mint them. Hence the same method applied to all industries would result in the industrial machine, being unable to swallow its own human waste The '•yil, in fact, is largely the result of opplying only the first principle of economical prodiictiou-that of subdivision oMiihoiir. As soou as the second great princiule-of providing each worker with » ihi mlii nt power—is brought into operation the employment of children in lai"»e numbers becomes unprofitable, nnd high tt'HRPs become associated with increased output and cheap production The business of the State, will bo to see that its own safety nnd good health are not imperilled by any want in (he provisiou Hindu, or in the effectiveness of the trainj»!t given. And while it will doubtless w ol considerable, advantage to the State l<: encourage and develop in its more I'iiergetifl nnd able citizens the highest standard of human excellence and efficiency, it will bo at I'east equally advantageous and far nioru necessary to see lliat the less capable receive a" suitable and Kjlisfving endowment. It in perhaps m this inspect Hint present provision is ill. least adequate and least well advised."