The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 1911.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3200, 22 April 1911, Page 6

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 1911.

There can be no doubt but that the result of the Harbor Board election will have a very important effect upon the question of outer or inner harbor. Just now, of course, the battle is as to whether the time is ripe for a vote of the electors to be taken on the subject. Ho\v much may depend upon the way in which a majority of the new board may view the matter is not, perhaps, generally recognised. It may happen that most of the members may hold that there is no immediate hurry in appealing to the electors. On the other hand, who can say that if Mr. W. D. Lysnar obtains a majority on the board the electors may not be asked simply to approve Mr. Marchant’s scheme? All who have the welfare of the town and district at heart would therefore do well to carefully weigh this aspect of the matter. The new board, it may be mentioned, will consist of 15 members, four members representing the Gisborne borough; five representing Cook County; three representing Waikohu County; one representing payers of dues; and two representatives of the Government. Exactly what may happen at the elections it is, of course, impossible to tell, but it would not appear that the straight-out outer harbor advocates have any reason to be over-confident. So much may be gathered from the fact that of the twenty-five candidates for the thirteen seats which it is open to the electors to fill, only seven can be described as warmly in favor of the establishment of an outer harbor at the present time. They are: Messrs. W. D. Lysnar, Brown, Turner, Harris, Lowndes, Hepburn, and Parker. It will be observed that the first four are candidates for the four Borough seats, and it would indeed be singular if they were all successful, whilst in the case of the other three they also have strong opponents. As regards the remaining eighteen candidates, their election addresses show that nearly all consider an outer harbor is more or .less out of the question at this juncture. From all appearances, therefore, a majority of the new board will not be disposed to make haste in the matter of an outer harbor. That this is the position which ought to be adopted we have not the slightest doubt. Before any scheme involving such a huge expenditure is undertaken it could not receive too careful consideration. In this connection we cannot refrain from alluding to some of the “arguments” which are being advanced in support of the immediate commencement of an outer harbor. There is first of all the suggestion that the new dredge has really done little, and is likely to do little, towards making a useful inner harbor. In plain speech this is, we hold, all humbug, and if good use is. made of the Maui during the next few months it should effectually dispose of the contention.. No weight either can assuredly be placed on the assertion that an outer 'harbor could be used almost at all times, for there can be no doubt that in the case of a heavy south-east blow all shipping would stand off at a respectful distance. As to the matter of finance, Mr. Lysnar, for instance, has quoted figures which few who give them due consideration will be able to accept. Not only do we feel that his estimate is quite wide of the mark, but it is evident that whilst lie says the river should not be neglected lie quite ignores to take full cognisance of the cost which the upkeep of the river must involve. For anyone to assert that if an outer harbor scheme were adopted it would not now in view of existing "undertakings involve a harbor rate is astounding. Better far will it be, as we have all along contended, to improve the river until the requirements bid fair to far exceed its fullest scope as an inside harbor. With the enhanced revenue which the board is continually receiving, it

The Harbor Question.

will soon be found if this 'scheme is adopted that there will be an excess of revenue over expenditure amounting to some thousands of pounds. Advocates of outer harbor schemes are, we feel, too prone to overlook how much greater Avill be the capacity of the inner harbor when the works in hand are completed. Under the circumstances we think it would be a matter to be deplored if it should happen that there was elected a board the majority of whom would be willing to recommend the electors to adopt any further harbor scheme until every effort had been made to secure the best available expert advice. It is no doubt the case that colonial harbor experts have a wide knowledge of their subject, but harbors are such an important matter involving as they do such considerable expense and risk that boards can only be commended if they go further afield. Like other ports in New Zealand, Gisborne, it is true, has already been the subject of a scheme outlined by a noted Home authority. As is well known, the proposals in question have practically been shelved on account principally of the enormous expense which they would necessitate. Nevertheless, we trust that before an outer harbor is commenced here steps may be taken to see if it is not possible to secure a visit by some other noted harbor designer. It would, of course, be a costly matter, as to be of the most service it would be essential that such an expert should be required not only to select a suitable spot, but also to thoroughly investigate the probable dost of alternative schemes. There are, however, certain to be other towns which would be willing to co-operate with Gisborne in such a matter.

"What is described as a fine experiment in doing a job in the best way is occasioning a good deal of interest in the United States and in the Old Country. How to get the best work out of men and to the best advantage of employer and worker has always been an interesting problem. A novel method to solve the question by scientific management is now put foi*ward by Mr. F. W. Taylor, of the Midvale Steel Works in Philadelphia. At the Bethlehem Steel Company’s establishment there was a great yard, approximately two miles long and half a mile wide, in which there were about six hundred men who shovelled sand, coal, ashes, etc. In accordance with his first- principle of determining accurately by scientific analysis the elements of each piece of work, Mr. Taylor began to study the science of shovelling. Most shovel contractors undoubtedly believe that the way to shovel is to shovel, and that there is no more science to it than a laborer will acquire by practice. At Bethlehem the men supplied their own shovels, which they chose to suit themselves, and they worked each man according to his own method. Mr. Taylor’s analysis showed that a first-class man working at normal speed could handle more material on a shovel that held a 21-pound load than on any other. A lighter load necessitated too high a speed, and a heavier load meant too great a strain on the man. He determined how much more quickly and easily a man could load his shovel with material from an iron or a wooden floor than from the ground. In accordance with his second principle—that of selecting the men and training them—Mr. Taylor picked out the men and had them instructed one by one how to work and how fast to work. It has long been known in the army that you can train men to take a 30-inch step 120 times to the minute so that they will do it with ease and regularity. Mr. Taylor trained his men to shovel in the same way; and (as in the army, where there is one non-com-missioned officer to every five men) in Mr. Taylor’s company of shovellers there was a foreman to every small gang, to keep teachin'g such men as needed it and to break in recruits. His third principle—that the men should be induced to use the knowldege that they were taught and maintain the standar i after they knew how—was made effective by the “bonus” system of payment. These men had been accustomed to receive l.lodol. a day for shovelling. Mr. Taylor allowed that rate to stand. If a man came to the Bethelehem Works in the morning and merely shovelled until the whistle' blew in the evening, he got his l.lodol. as usual. If, however, he profited by the teaching and did the whole task assigned him, he received l.Sodol. a day. This 70 cents extra a day was the inducement given to make the men use the science which they had been taught. Following his fourth principle—having the management do everything which it could do better than the men—necessitated many changes. In the first place, a tool-house was built and supplied with eight different kinds of shovels, some for ashes, others for coal. A planning department was established to determine just what work should be done each day and by what men. This department gave each man a card every morning, telling him . just where to go in the yard, just what to do, what tools to do it with, and how long it ought to take him. These details were formerly decided by the gang-boss and by the men themselves in a haphazard manner. Under Mr. Taylor they were determined by specialists. At first sight it would seem, a useless waste to have a tool-house with' many different tools for men who had been accustomed to supplying their own shovels, a further waste to have a lot of men planning work for a gang of shovellers, and others instructing and timing them, and more folly yet to investigate the “science” of shovelling—as if a man who had shovelled for fifteen years

How to Work.

would hot know how to do it. Certa illy it all would have seemed foolish it i had not been for the results, winch were these:—The number of laborers was reduced from 600 to 140; the average number of tons handled pei ri^ n per day was increased from 16 to 59; the average earnings per man per day rose from 1.15d01. to 1.88dol.; the average cost of handling a long ton ("449 lbs.) decreased from 7.2 cents to 3.3 cents. In the 3.3 cents per ton for cost of handling is included the wages of all the men in the planning department, the timekeepers, etc. During the first year the saving to the company was' 36,417d01., and in the next six months (when the system was further perfected) the saving was about as much more—or a total of appi oximately 72,000d01. in eighteen months. This had been accomplished without overworking the men, for one fundamental idea underlying “scientific management” is that the men who are trained be induced to stay permanently, and this could not be done if they were ovei worked.