Shop Management

88 SHOP MANAGEMENT following day by the chief inspector, selected on account of her accuracy and integrity. An effective expedient was adopted for checking the honesty and accuracy of the over-inspection. Every two or three days a lot of balls was especially prepared by the foreman, who counted out a definite number of perfect balls, and added a recorded num- ber of defective balls of each kind. The inspectors had no means of distinguishing this lot from the regu- lar commercial lots. And in this way all temptation to slight their work or make false returns was removed. After insuring in this way against deterioration in quality, effective means were at once adopted to increase the output. Improved day work was sub- stituted for the old slipshod method. An accurate daily record, both as to quantity and quality, was kept for each inspector. In a comparatively short time this enabled the foreman to stir the ambition of all the inspectors by increasing the wages of those who turned out a large quantity and good quality, at the same time lowering the pay of those who fell short, and discharging others who proved to be in- corrigibly slow or careless. An accurate time study was made through the use of a stop watch and record blanks, to determine how fast each kind of inspec- tion should be done. This showed that the girls spent a considerable part of their time in partial idleness, talking and half working, or in actually doing nothing. Talking while at work was stopped by seating them far apart. The hours of work were shortened