-------------+---------+-------+-------+-------+-------------------------- | | | | | _Works Costs at 2s. | | | | | per Hour, including |_Time |_Time |_Time |_Reward| Labour._ |allowed._|taken._|saved._| at | | | | | 10d._ +-------------------------- | | | | |_Cost._|_Reward._|_Total._ +---------+-------+-------+-------+-------+---------+-------- | Hours. | Hours.| Hours.| s. d. | s. d.| s. d. | s. d. Original time| 5 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 8 0 | 10 | 8 10 Cut to | 4 | 3-1/2 | 1/2 | 5 | 7 0 | 5 | 7 5 " | 3-1/2 | 3 | 1/2 | 5 | 6 0 | 5 | 6 5 " | 3 | 7 | -- | -- | 14 0 | -- | 14 0 Increased to | 4 | 7 | -- | -- | 14 0 | -- | 14 0 " " | 5 | 3-1/2 | 1-1/2 | 1 3 | 7 0 | 1 3 | 8 3 Cut to | 4-1/2 | 7 | -- | -- | 14 0 | -- | 14 0 -------------+---------+-------+-------+-------+-------+---------+-------- In this case the original piece time allowed for the work was five hours, this being an estimate based on the time taken when working under day work. The men were paid at the rate of 10d. per hour, and the works costs, including labour, amounted to 2s. per hour. Bonus was paid on the time saved. The workers completed the job in four hours, a reduction of one hour on the time set, and thereby earned a bonus of 10d. The time was cut to four hours, and the work was done in three and a half hours, the workers earning a bonus of 5d. It was then cut to three and half hours, and the workers completed the job in three hours. Again the time was cut, but the patience of the workers had reached its limit, and the time taken was seven hours, with a correspondingly increased works cost. The time was immediately increased to four hours, but with no effect. On increasing the time to the original five hours the workers completed the job in three and a half hours, and earned a very good bonus. Once again the time was cut, with the result that the workers' suspicion was aroused, and the time promptly jumped to seven hours. The workers had learned their lesson! Neither worker nor employer can be satisfied with such a result, and mutual suspicion is the natural outcome. Yet all rates must be juggled with in this manner in the absence of a method whereby the time may be accurately determined. It follows that, in the first place, the firm will not cut prices, and, in the second, that the first-class worker may earn the highest reward in his power, with the knowledge that he is not injuring the welfare of his fellow-workers in any way.