Efficiency Methods
An Introduction to Scientific Management

184 EFFICIENCY METHODS Mention is made occasionally by the American managers of their foremen’s committees, once a month or once a fortnight.1 It may be suggested that Taylor’s functional foremen would co-ordinate their work and help each other greatly if they had opportunity for discussion and consultation. A workmen’s committee is also greatly to be desired for the administration of many developments in welfare work. A British manager known to the authors lately constituted his first workmen’s committee to deal entirely with arrangements for fining workers for irregular attendance at work. This problem, so crucial in all munition work at present, is being solved satisfactorily in his works by the men’s own rules and system. The whole of the old thorny question of “ restric- tion of output,” with its endless misunderstandings, will come up for rediscussion after the war under entirely new circumstances. Thorough discussion, with the ability to see all points of view, above all the national one, will be the one chance of an effective plan of action. Somewhat connected with this question is that of the length of the working day. It is curious that American efficiency engineers on the whole plainly think this a matter for collective bargaining, whereas scientific experiment and research contri- bute more every year towards its solution, and a 1 See C. W. Carpenter, “ Profit-Making Management,” and an article by V. Hoxie in System, vol. xix.