Motion Study
A Method for Increasing the Efficiency of the Workman

VARIABLES OF THE MOTION 73 as a class. Far from it! All operations requiring skill will remain in the hands of the bricklayer, who, escaping all work that unskilled hands could do, will have the more time and energy to devote to the “art” element of his work. But we are not at this time discussing “brickwork as a lost art” —we cite bricklaying here as an example of the cost of motions, the result of the effects of cost of motions, and of the possibilities and importance of motion study as a method of attack in cost reducing and in standardizing the trades for the greatest possible economy. What greater service can the bricklayer do both his trade and the people who own or occupy houses than to reduce the cost of the motions in brickwork without reducing his own wages or increasing his hours? The elimination of wastes is the problem that has been forced to the attention of the entire world to-day, and of America particularly. The elimination of wastes in the trades offers the largest field for savings. Every trade must be reclassified, and must have the brawn motions separated from the skill motions. Scien- tific division of the work to be done is as sure to result in higher wages and lower production costs as did F. W. Taylor’s separating the planning from the performing. The reason that our country is not astounded and con- fused at the appalling unnecessary loss to its inhabitants on account of unnecessary, wasteful, and improper mo- tions of its workers is clue to ignorance of the existence of this loss, and to ignorance of any method of eliminating it.