AMERICAN METHODS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 April 1927, Page 1

AMERICAN METHODS

J'RAISE ERCM ’■ 'i M - Avail alia .V S .7. Cable Asso.-ia'.a a NEW AYiitK, A| rii S. Me-'.oo s from Heheneetatly. New ■ . .(al. ■, Fiat five minutes alter d„. .speeches of f.nn members ol l!r.> Australian Industrial '.Mission were broaden sled at 3.30 this morning. Mr William .1 ai kson, of the Amateur Radio Station 2 A.H.AE. in bb hcimtad.v. picked up Mr AY. T. AYaikins. of Hobart. Tasmania, who renorlcd tbs. in a lest message lie had heard every Word from AY.O.N. !l was line business. being loud and clear, with go. o speech from all. IB' could own ho.' the microphone rustle. AH- Cuy said licit he believed that the Australian employ rs and employees would adopt those -principles which the Mission bad discovered weie m ining for a feeling of contentment and happiness among the -American workers. lie said licit. America had developed ellicioncy into science. Aus-

tralia must pay more attention n ~ -ieutilic research. America bad granted them every facility to inspect any plants which the mission bad (lesireil

Mr Yalentine said that in view ol the hostility licit was display'd towards employees’ members before the Mission left Australia, and the (brents prevail upon the Apierivan I'edeiat ion of Bn hour to refuse any recognition of tlm Australians, they would be interested t" learn in the United States, (pat | .aimin' bodms had refused to extend tb" baud "I welcome and goo', fellowship, lie said that many things were to be learned in America. "Some of votii - methods we should adopt; others we should avoid. The I'iiions generally In lieve in encouraging higher product ion and ellicioncy." The Mission continued its investigation of the plant of the Heneral Electric Company, the members being amazed at the development of the research laboratories, including talking and singing cinematographs. A film

is projected oil a screen, and a beam of ligllt is projected through sound.

The mission cpiestioned the officials ~f tin- company, winch has a larger percentage ol skilled men than tno majority of the other industries inspected. The average wage at there Schenectady plant is nearly three shit- ! mii liour. \\ nriK'ii Mm (‘nnmi.'X of three shillings and four* ! pence per hour on piecework in phieI in ..'id e unmet ing the coils in motors. ! They are better than men at this work. I he moulders on tlm big jobs are ear-n----j ing upwards of live shillings and three I pence per hour. The unskilled piecework moulders on the machines are. | earning an average of ihree shillings ' and fourpenee per hour. ihe ( omjinny is omjiloyinar7A*)o oil n four-years’ course, hut with no legal binding.

A 1 the 11. Smith Works, the Superintendent said that they had feared > shortage 01 skilled labour. Companies like the General Fled vie Company ar 6 being penalised for the genera! good. The automobile industries were horrible examples, where skilled men were not required. All-round skilled men would lie made sick doing repetition work. THE AAIEBTCAX l-ESSON. XK \V VI) Ills, April 9. Ucocnily the Australian Mission inspected the American hncomotivo Company’s Works Sehiteriady Scotch pattern makers, ft was stated that fre- * I non t svmpathetie strikes in Schttcctady had destroyed unionism several years One foreman, who served his nppi"*nticesliip in Glasgow, said the •• Daily Mail ” mission from Britain recently had missed the point in its inquire. The real lesson to he loattiod in America was that the workers were not afraid to finish a job quickly. 9he idea in Britain was that the workers wanted to see another job coming before finishing the one in hand. He added: •'•The Americans work rapidly, hoping to secure more jobs. British migrants to America always must he taught the proper idea of product ion.”